The RWBY OC Vs Series
by judgeofhunters
Summary: Well we've all wanted to see one, and here it is.
1. Chapter 1

**Greeting peoples of the Internet. I am JudgeOfHunters and this is the first matchup of the RWBY OC Vs Series. Just some quick disclaimers, this is the first matchup that I have done so don't expect the quality to be that great. Second, I do not own RWBY and I do not own any of the characters presented in this series, the universe is under Fair Use and I use the OCs with permission from the authors who created them. Feel free to dispute our conclusions in reviews or PMs. (My editor and advisor for this fight is Wa7chface. He helps me spell and grammar check, assists me in character analysis, and writes the fight scenes)**

 **From Hunted To Hunter:**

 **s/10636864/1/**

 **The White Mask:**

 **s/11070612/1/**

Cipher Agents, The elite of the feared "Vale Intelligence". Recruited from all walks of life regardless of whether or not they are Hunters and trained in various in fields ranging from espionage, sabotage and interrogation to assassination, torture, stealth and infiltration of terrorist groups such as the White Fang or Black Fist.

Cipher Agent Designated as Cipher-9, an Atlesian orphaned at 14 and conscripted into the Black Fist for over 3 years before deserting and finding refuge in Vale. Recruited by the Enigmatic "Keeper" for his experience on the Black Fist. Trained as a Hunter by the Black Fist, Cipher-9 was a glutton for punishment and trying to stop him was like trying to stop a freight train.

Precise and deadly and completely without mercy or notions of a "fair fight" Cipher-9 will relentlessly harry and hunt his opponent until they meet their grizzly end. With his objective is complete Cipher-9 melts back into the night without a trace.

Huntsmen, Grimm, Androids, Trappers, this is who opposes the White Fang. To survive and take revenge on Humanity Fidelis 'The Dead Wind' acts as one of their enforcers. After being introduced to the gruesome reality of the world at a very young age Fidelis was forced to learn how to fight and kill in order to survive and hasn't stopped in sixteen years.

Wielding a massive aura that even he can't fully control Fidelis earned his position near the top of the White Fang pecking order as one of their strongest fighters. His relentless and ferocious fighting style coupled with his immense aura reserves, and almost inhuman endurance and stamina levels ensure that no enemy will leave a fight against him unscathed. Once a fight has ended he is already looking forward to the next.

Fight

The Dead Wind was making his way back to headquarters after attending a recruitment gathering. Apparently he had become something of a legend among the Faunus community for his reputation. As he entered the building there was a small click and the sound of a weight hitting the floor. It was all the warning Fidelis needed to activate his Aura before a fragmentation grenade went off behind him.

Before he could recover a sustained burst of gunfire erupted from the other side of the room. Judging from the rate of fire shooter was using a submachine gun, and had already drained a magazine. Fidelis charged the enemy with superhuman speed, using his Gunbai as a shield to deflect any more bullets. When he got within thirty feet there was a "whoosh" and a torrent of flame erupted around him.

Fidelis noticed a drastic drop in his Aura as swung his weapon. When his enemy sidestepped the weapon the Dead Wind recognized his mask with bloodthirsty glee. Vale Intelligence considered him enough of a threat to send a Cipher, and he was certainly a skilled opponent. The dingo faunus brought his weapon around a second time and managed to connect with his adversaries left thigh, forcing him to one knee. The Cipher agent retaliated with another burst from one of his flame gauntlets.

Instead of tanking with his Aura Fidelis raised a wind barrier to deflect the flames and took an overhead swing in retaliation, and was immediately blinded by a flash of light. Cipher-9 had dropped a flashbang while using his gauntlet. The faunus felt the impact of at least two dozen .45 rounds impact his right flank.

Lashing out with his Semblance Fidelis launched his adversary through a wall. The Dead Wind followed in hot pursuit, not giving an inch. Cipher-9 had barely managed to regain his feet when The Dead Wind was upon him. When Fidelis tried another swing with the war fan the VI operative grabbed the shaft and tripped his opponent, causing both fighters to fall to the ground.

Without the room needed to use his weapon Fidelis tried to claw Cipher-9 with his gauntlet, only to have the sharpened metal talons glance off of Kevlar body armor. The Cipher agent retaliated with several punches to the kidneys and a knee to the groin. Pain filled the terrorist's mind as he concentrated his Aura into fueling a hammerblow to the assassin's chest. The black metal gauntlet punched go the Kevlar plates like they were tissue paper. The Dead Wind felt his fist pass through his adversary's chest and come out his back. Fortunately it was a swift death, as Cipher-9 had tried to pull the pin on a grenade as he died.

 **Judgeofhunters: Well, that was overkill. I really don't want to rate this fight M Wa7chface, could you tone it down a bit?**

 **Wa7chface: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom had someone get their heart ripped out while it was still beating, and it was rated PG. We're gonna be fine.**

 **Judgeofhunters: Good point, on to the logic and inevitable hatemail.**

 **Wa7chface: To put it simply Cipher-9 has can contend with Fidelis in an ambush, but his equipment and skill set wouldn't hold up in open battle with such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.**

 **Judgeofhunters: While suppressed small caliber bullets are great on a stealth operation, they aren't going to be as effective in open battle against another Hunter (This is all relative of corse, as hot lead never stops being effective.) Cipher training relies heavily on ambush and stealth tactics, and that option would disappear within seconds. Fidelis's mask is equipped with thermal optics so Gregory wouldn't be able to retreat to the shadows, even with his Semblance.**

 **Wa7chface: It dosen't help that most of his weapons that would be effective, the Flame Gauntlets, require Gregory to be within thirty feet of Fidelis. The flames would obscure his vision and he wouldn't be able to effectively defend against Fidelis when he closed distance. Foot long daggers do not have the leverage necessary to redirect, block, or parry a 98lb (48.5kilo) percussion weapon.**

 **Judgeofhunters: This wouldn't matter if Gregory were a speed based fighter, but Cipher agents are noted to sacrifice speed and mobility for strength and endurance. Unfortunately for Cipher-9, Fidelis outclasses him in all of these categories. That's just too much of a disadvantage.**

 **Wa7chface: To face Fidelis in open combat you need to be able to contend with his speed (not necessarily match it),be able to keep up that speed on instinct, and think tactically on top of that. Mainly because none of the OCs we're using can hope to match him in terms of power.**

 **Judgeofhunters: While Gregory has the tactics advantage hands down, Fidelis holds the rest of the contest. All of Fidelis's advantages outwieigh Gregory's one.**

So let us know what you think. Just a couple of quick announcements, each fight is going to be posted as a separate story with the titles of the characters involved being the title. E.x. The Dead Wind Vs Cipher-9.

Normally we would place a hint on the next matchup here but we honestly have several fights in progress so we don't know what's coming next at the moment. Look forward to a surprise.

In the near future we will be publishing a comprehensive outline of where we believe RWBY characters stand in overall combat effectiveness. This tiering system was created by Wa7chface in order to better organize characters. As we go along we will update that table with OCs we use.

We would like to thank you all for your time. Have a nice weekend.

Judgeofhunters

Wa7chface


	2. Chapter 2: The Shadow Vs The Sniper

Simon Alexander Vs Benjamin Carson

The Shadow Vs The Sniper

 **Hello once again peoples of the Internet. Wa7chface and I have returned to bring you another installment of the Vs Series last time we offered you a take on the old Assassin Vs Juggernaut scenario. Today we have a battle between two different incarnations of the soldier archetype. That being said, we will be examining Benjamin Carson as he is during Chapter Fifty of Team AMBR: Finding Redemption, mainly because that is all Wa7chface is caught up to (we didn't want to delay this any longer, please send complaints to his account.) Hope you enjoy the fight.**

Shadows. Watchful, vengeful, forces of nature. Simon Alexander has led a life he never intended to. A son of a doctor who was murdered by the White Fang. After spending nearly 4 years in the Black Fist terror group Simon was found and brought to Beacon by professor Ozpin to reintroduce him to the normal world.

Cunning, adaptable, and utterly ruthless Simon wields what remains of his past as a weapon, becoming a shadow of death. He fights to redeem himself

Raider, Bandit, Thief, Benjamin Carson is all of these and more. The son of the famous outlaw William "Hangman" Carson Ben was born and raised within the Badlands between Vale and Vacuo. Before he was captured by Atlesian forces he became a noted sniper amongst his father's gang, raiding cargo trains containing Dust, weapons, and other supplies.

After surviving Initiation Benjamin was assigned to team AMBR led by the former Red Hand Trapper Joel Ambrose. Acting as the team sniper and 2nd in command.

 **Remnant Badlands: 300 miles outside Vale**

The cargo train had been en route to Vale from Atlas for nearly six days now, and Simon Alexander had gotten bored. He had just finished cleaning his battle-staff for the third time that trip when an explosion rocked the entire train. The Shadow leapt to his feet with Umbra Vigilans in his grip. The White Fang hadn't raided a train in months, which left the bandits within the Badlands as the attackers.

Simon hadn't even opened the door to advance towards the other train cars when the entire train erupted into a mobile firefight. AK- 140s fought the bandits with a combination of blades and bullets, and the raiders responded in kind. Within minutes of the attack the deck was littered with bodies both humanoid and robotic. Simon Alexander carved his way through the carnage, his blades carved through the bandits as the Hunter made his way towards the center car.

Gunfire sounded inside the structure, some kind of burst weapon. Simon triggered the door only to see a raider with a metal arm drive his fist through the last remaining AK-140's chest. Both fighters took a moment to assess their adversary before training their weapons towards the enemy.

 **Fight**

Benjamin and Simon opened fire at the same moment, filling the air with both steel flechettes and hot lead. Each fighter took hits during this initial exchange, their Aura's absorbing the impact. Benjamin ceased firing first to find cover, diving behind a steel crate and reloading his weapon. Simon pressed the advantage, hosing the bandit with withering fire. When his magazine ran dry the weapon automatically ejected the empty container and Simon was able to load another 125 rounds in less than four seconds.

Unfortunately for the Shadow Benjamin took those four seconds to activate his semblance and place two bursts into the center of his chestplate, destroying the bullet resistant plating underneath. The former terrorist responded by throwing a fragmentation grenade behind the crate, forcing the Sniper to dive out before he exploded. When he emerged from cover Simon placed a sustained burst as the bandit returned fire with a 10mm pistol. Instead of repeating this pattern when Benjamin found more cover Simon rushed his position, extending the blades of his battle staff.

When the two soldiers met there was a great ring as the blades of Simon's staff met the raider's prosthetic arm. Using the enhanced strength of the limb Ben parried the initial overhead strike and shot Simon in the chest with his pistol, the explosive round causing his Aura to drop like a stone. In response Simon brought the staff back around with a sweeping blow at Ben's legs.

The bandit lost his balance and was forced to the ground in a crumpled heap. The Shadow tried to bring his machine gun to bear once more only for the Sniper to grab the barrel with his false arm. Channeling his Aura into his arm the outlaw bent the blackened metal by almost sixty degrees. The destruction of his weapon had distracted Simon for long enough to allow Benjamin to kick him in his right knee, forcing the Shadow to join him on the ground.

Both fighters rolled away from their opponent and tried to regain their footing. Ben got up first and fired on the other Hunter. Neither one of them had much Aura left as Simon tanked the rounds. Suddenly the bandit's aim dropped low, his Aura-fueled prosthetic failing without it's power supply. Taking the initiative, Simon leapt to his feet and extended his blades gauntlets. Benjamin managed to free his pistol from the stock when the Shadow was upon him. The Sniper managed to parry the first jab with his pistol, but wasn't as lucky on the second. A black blade embedded itself in Carson's chest, shredding his heart and punching through the spinal column underneath.

As the bandit crumpled to the deck the firefight outside had burned out. Security officers and androids stormed into the center car with their weapons raised. One of them, a Corporal by the markings on his pauldron, saluted him and said. "Sir, all hostiles have been neutralized or routed. The cargo is secure."

 **Judgeofhunters: So, that was a close one. Simon and Ben were more than a match for each other at range. However we are in agreement that a fight would ultimately be decided in close quarters.**

 **Wa7chface: This is due to the logistics provided by their individual training, experience, and weapons. Simon had been trained as a sniper during his time in the Black Fist terror organization, and would know how to engage such an opponent.**

 **Judgeofhunters: In contrast, Ben does not have very much experience against opponents like Simon, with the exception of Maxine Argus. To put it bluntly, Simon is a different breed than Max. He isn't nearly as reckless and is far better equipped to deal with people like Ben.**

 **Wa7chface: An argument can be made that Ben would target Simon's knee if he knew about the fight beforehand, but the basic assumption behind our series is that neither fighter is prepared to fight beforehand. (Gregory was under orders to destroy a White Fang cell, and only discovered Fidelis when he came into the base after he had cleared out the mooks.)**

 **Judgeofhunters: And Simon's artificial right knee dosen't damage his combative viability nearly as much as a prosthetic limb. Since Ben's arm is specifically powered by his Aura it would fail when said Aura was depleted. Should it fail in the middle of combat he's pretty screwed.**

 **Like last time, let us know what you think. Most of the fun in this in interacting with the community we are a part of. We would like to thank the authors who allow us to use their creations and the support we receive from the fan base.**

 **Enjoy for now. Wa7chface going to be taking a small break for now so that he can get chapter 11 of his own story up. If anyone would like to volunteer to write the next fight scene let me know.**

 **Judgeofhunters**

 **Wa7chface**


	3. The Immortal Vs The Half Breed

**Joel Ambrose Vs Mason Griffon**

 **The Immortal Vs The Half Breed**

 **Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the long wait but I've been busy studying for finals. While will be using a new format for the next installment of this series I thought that would do a matchup that struck me as novel. Neither Joel Ambrose or Ike Mers use firearms and they are both defectors from criminal organizations. The thematic elements of their stories worked for me so I decided to go for this matchup.**

 **Before we get started there's something I have to clear up. Before now I was using bios provided to me by the authors of the OCs, and until now I forgot to credit them for their work. I promise this wasn't out of malice, simply a product of my own forgetfulness, therefore I take full responsibility for it.**

Bastion, a frontier city of Northern Vytal. A symbol of humanity's determination and strength. Made wealthy by the Dust and Silver mines within their borders, made famous by the Hunters of Aegis Academy in the city center. This great symbol of mankind's determination has stood for decades, and has started the career of many of Remnants most famous Hunters. Joel Ambrose is among this number.

Instructed by the Hunters of Bastion and trained by the Fortunata Marigold Joel Amberose is one infamous Generation 2 Red Hand Trappers. The victim of two White Fang terrorist attacks on Bastion killing the vast majority of his family Joel joined the Hand out of a desire for revenge. After being accepted into the second generation of Trappers he was taken as an apprentice of Fortuna Marigold, a Generation 1 Trapper and former Bounty Hunter.

After three years with the terrorist organization Joel turned himself in to Kingdom authorities, spending several months in a high security prison following his highly publicized trial. After this period of imprisonment Headmaster Ozpin gave him the opportunity to attend Beacon Academy. Accepting his offer, the former trapper earned command of Team AMBR.

Mason Griffon is the son of White Fang founding member Connory Griffon. After his fathers death Mason was raised by Qrow Branwen and became the childhood companion to Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long.

After leaving home at the age of 15 to search for the legacy of Connory Griffon Mason returned to Vale shortly after team RWBY's first semester at Beacon. While attending the Academy he formed a close relationship with the SDC Heiress Weiss Schnee and forged a firm friendship with team SLVR.

As the year wore on and the White Fang grew bolder by the day Mason chose to leave Beacon Academy. Hoping to put a stop to their plans before they could do catastrophic harm to the people of Vale. His ultimate fate remains unknown.

Former Faunus Insurgent Safe-house: 50 miles outside Bastion.

This White Fang safe house was another bust. In their retreat the insurgents had burned everything of value, and insurgents were nothing if not through. Charred papers and ashes covered the floor, quickly coloring everything it touched a charcoal black.

Mason Griffon was sifting through the ashes, searching for anything that mentioned his father, perhaps a logbook or a personnel roster. The last several days had made him paranoid. Red Hand forces had patrolled this area heavily due to increased White Fang activity. All it took was the sound of floorboards creaking to set off his fight or flight response.

 **Fight**

Joel Ambrose barely had time to evade this intruder's first attack, a bladed gauntlet shredding the place he stood less than a second ago. He drew Storm Circuit and immediately leaped backward to escape the close confines of the safe house. As Mason stepped through the doorway to follow Joel hurled an electrified knife at the half breed, forcing him to dodge to the side.

The Trapper took a moment to prepare himself for the inevitable attack, raising his weapon to a guard position. Griffon came on hard, a wild series of strikes meant to shred the taller man to ribbons every once in a while Mason would overextend himself and Joel took the opportunity to counter with a well placed cut or thrust. This pattern persisted for several minutes, Mason coming on hard and Joel waiting out his opponent.

After missing a right hook Ambrose delivered a cut to the half breed's right leg, severing the muscles and tendons that held him upright. Mason Griffon went to the ground, crumpling like a puppet without strings. The Trapper holstered his weapon, assuming his enemy to be defeated. Only his augmented reflexes saved Joel's live.

Griffon had come back swinging, his first strike delivering a triple pronged thrust into his back. The second was aimed at his neck, hoping to sever the Joel's spine. At the last moment he moved to the left side and griped Mason's arm as it passed. Using the leverage brought on by his superior height and augmented musculature the Immortal violently jerked the limb to the right, throwing his opponent several feet to the side. Before Griffon could recover Joel grabbed him by the throat and discharged as much electricity into the half breed as possible.

The corpse sparked as the energy flowed out of the body. "Who the hell were you?" Joel asked himself as he searched for identification. Without visible Faunus traits he was unable to properly identify his adversary as the son of a White Fang founder.

 **JudgeOfHunters: Yeah, we realized this was very lopsided after about a half hour of working on it. We pressed in for personal reasons, as I like both of these characters. In layman's terms, Mason is badly suited for single combat against other Hunter Trained opponents.**

 **Wa7chface: His fighting method is way too reckless, leaving Griffon too exposed. Nearly every time he is portrayed in battle Mason is described as wild and had been brought to heel by recklessness several times. (Initiation, his fight against Yang, and his fight against Neo to name a few.)**

 **JudgeOfHunters: Pair off that recklessness with a tactically literate adversary and he's pretty screwed.**

 **Wa7chface: Let's not forget that his Semblance (cellular regeneration) only works when he is already wounded. (I.e. When his Aura is already depleted.)**

 **JudgeOfHunters: With that, we declare Joel Ambrose the victor.**

 **The following are true events that followed the completion of this fight.**

 ***Wa7chface gets up from the computer, closing MS Word.* That took us way too damn long. Two months for a single fight, well, finals take priority over hobbies.**

 **Me: Don't worry about it man, if the Internet can't comprehend that we have lives outside of this site than that's their problem.**

 **Wa7chface: True that. Well, I'm going home to binge watch Battlestar Galactica. See you tomorrow.**

 **Me: See you buddy.**

 ***Wa7chface leaves my house, my little sister watches him walk down the street.***

 **Little Sister: He's gone now.**

 **Me: Alright, cool. I know for a fact that he doesn't read these so we're good.**

 **First off, sorry for the atrociously long wait between fights. RL's been hectic lately. Other than that I have some announcements.**

 **The next fight will feature one of Wa7chface's characters from his story The Evil of Men. Before you start screaming favoritism let me get to my next announcement.**

 **In order to eliminate personal bias I will be working with a new format to present my logic and numbers in a far clearer way. While this will involve many, many more spoilers I think that it'll be worth it to save my integrity.**

 **On a related topic, the next fight will be a 3 way free for all, and after that my "Season Finale." If you guys like the new format that I use for these next two fights than I'll use it in Season 2.**

 **That's about it... So I'll see ya'll in the reviews.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Announcement**

 **Due to a lineup change on the upcoming free for all I will not be revealing that fight until the Season 2 Premier. I'm sorry if this is disappointing but I believe that the new matchup will be far more compelling.**

 **Now to answer the question on everyone's mind, the next fight will be a team battle. Joel Ambrose and Fidelis Vs Simon Alexander and Edward Laura. For the Season Finale it will be a fight between the two members of the victorious side.**

 **Again, I apologize if I disappointed anyone. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask them in a PM or review.**


	5. It's Finally Here!

**A/N: Here we are, my Magnum Opus. It took me weeks of research, comparison, and toil to create this breakdown. Hopefully I have lived up to the hype and done the characters involved justice. Now, for your reading pleasure I present Joel Ambrose and Fidelis Vs Edward Laura and Simon Alexander.  
**  
 **The Immortal and The Dead Wind Vs The Watchful Shadow and The Wraith**

I clearly don't own anyone involved in this series, all characters and events mentioned belong to the respective authors.

Fidelis is a Faunus Male born 21 years before the Battle of Beacon. Left to die in an alleyway as a newborn infant he was taken in by a prostitute until the age of five, where he was forced to fight as a child gladiator for the entertainment of others. After three years of this emotional hell Fidelis inadvertently unlocked his own Aura, killing his captors in a rage-powered frenzy.

When the police came across the slaughter young Fidelis was adopted by one of the officers, a fellow Faunus. During his brief time in the man's home Fidelis encountered his adopted brother Reidat, and the two would share a close bond for the rest of their lives.

When the White Fang was created Fidelis joined at the age of twelve. After the organization turned violent he quickly climbed through the organization's hierarchy and became one of it's chief enforcers, answering directly to Adam Tarus. During his career Fidelis has earned the moniker "The Dead Wind" for his combative prowess, and for his infamous recklessness.

Joel Ambrose is a second generation Trapper who was eighteen years old during the Battle of Beacon. Born to a Huntress and a police officer Joel enrolled in Agis Academy at the age of thirteen. As a student at the academy Ambrose quickly built a reputation as one of it's best prospects, quickly learning how to utilize his Aura and how to bolster his own martial arts training.

At the age of fifteen Joel's mother and father were killed in a White Fang bombing. During the funeral he was approached by his Uncle Lucas Violette, commander of the Red Hand terrorist organization. Accepting his offer to join the group, Ambrose became a second generation Trapper. After undergoing physical augmentation and receiving intense training Joel was on the front lines, combatting the White Fang and other enemies of humanity.

During this time he was trained by a bounty hunter called Lady Luck, a powerful Dust Mage and first generation Trapper. In the aftermath of a raid when Ambrose witnessed the death of a young Faunus child he deserted the organization and turned himself into the police.

Languishing in a maximum security cell for several months, Joel Ambrose was eventually approached by Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. Accepting his offer to attend his school, the former Trapper was placed in command of team AMBR. During the course of his education the Immortal has proven himself a great warrior and loyal ally.

The only son of Anthony and Martha Alexander, Simon was born seventeen years before the Battle of Beacon. At the age of twelve, a Civil Rights group turned terrorist organization called the White Fang entered the town of Exton and killed the young boy's parents. After Running from his burning home Alexander fled into the city of Vale, where he stowed away on a cargo ship to Atlas.

Within mere days of his arrival Simon was discovered by Roman Torchwick, who offered to take Simon somewhere he could take revenge on those who killed his family. Accepting his offer, Simon was recruited into the Black Fist terror group. After two years of intense training and passing his last test Alexander was deployed to the Atlesian Highlands.

For the next eighteen months the Vengeful Ghost served as a member of Rum Squad under the command of Captain Ty Kruger. During this time he regularly took part in covert military action against the Atleasian White Fang, personally assassinating high ranking officials in an attempt to draw out Schwartzer Belladona. During a battle at the White Fang Headquarters Simon had the opportunity to face enemy one last time and, with the assistance of his sniper allies, killed him.

Deserting the Black Fist after the assassination of a Atleasian Councilman, Alexander found himself severely wounded by two of his former squad mates. After six months of medical treatment Simon was hired by the head of the Schnee Dust Company as a bodyguard for his daughter Weiss.

Serving in this capacity for a year, Simon caught the attention of Headmaster Ozpin. Receiving an offer to attend Beacon Academy as a first year student, Alexander was placed in command of team SNST. Now he fights to protect his surviving Black Fist orphans both from kingdom authorities and themselves.

Born into the nobility of Spearpoint, Edward Laura's career was decided due to the reputation of his siblings. As the youngest child of a Huntress and a weapon mogul, Edward would be expected to enroll in Spearpoint Academy at the age of twelve. Fulfilling this criteria, he was trained at the militarized schools for four years, two of them being under the Infiltrator Program.

After graduation Edward then moved to Vale in order to work at the local Laura Armories branch. Within weeks of his arrival he was nearly killed by a rouge vigilante, only surviving due to the intervention of the Grey Mask operative Archangel.

He spent several weeks recovering from this battle and was approached by the Grandmaster of the Order, Kane Darius. His offer was simple, become a Grey Mask and dedicate his life to the ideals of the order in exchange for an apprenticeship.

The newly christened Wraith spent most of his time studying at the feet of Archangel, learning the tenants of precision and control above brute force. Early on in the third year of his apprenticeship Edward was tasked with infiltrating Beacon Academy in order discern the source of a recent spike in rouge Hunters.

 **Physical Capabilities/Handicaps**

As a Dingo Faunus Fidelis is granted a number of advantages that place him far above his human counterparts. A higher level of hearing and eyesight grant a greater level of situational awareness, inborn night vision gives a situational edge, etc.

In addition to these inborn advantages, Fidelis has an exceptional aptitude with Aura Based Physical Augmentation. His ability in this field mostly is mostly attributed to strength, being able to drive his fist through a humanoid torso with ease and utilize his primary weapon, a 98lb (44.452kg) Gunbai war fan.

The Dead Wind's greatest asset was his stamina and endurance. Fidelis has been depicted tanking a charged plasma shot from Penny, who used powers of a similar magnitude to shoot down multiple bullheads. A human tank, Fidelis is capable of taking just as much damage as he dishes out.

Joel Ambrose, as a second generation Trapper, underwent several physical augmentation procedures to improve his native capabilities. Due to the nature of their enemies, the Red hand applied a 'broken bones' style of physical improvement, methodically damaging specific bones, muscle groups, and sensory organs. By applying Aura, steroids, and proper diet supplements these damaged area would become more efficient.

Joel's hearing in particular was enhanced to levels similar to that of most Faunus, and the muscles in his lower arms and wrists were enhanced far beyond the scope of the normal human. In particular, Ambrose has been shown to be capable of cracking human bone in his iron grip.

Something that must be considered is how Joel's implants effect his physicality. For those who are unaware, Joel has several Dust implants in his body which are designed to assist Ambrose in controlling his Semblance. They work by absorbing electrical energy, preventing it from causing Ambrose pain. However, they have been overloaded in the past and when they have Joel has had considerable difficulty controlling his Aura and Semblance.

Arguably, Joel's greatest asset is his nearly superhuman ability to take punishment. This is the guy who was thrown from a train, after being injured by a fellow Trapper, and proceeded to engage Red Hand Trappers with the assistance of his partner Maxine Argus. In total, we have something similar to an armored truck in human form.

The demands of forced Simon Alexander to become an incredibly fit human male. Standing at five feet nine inches tall and possessing a muscular athletic build. He initially relied upon speed and agility to blitzkrieg his opponents with pure offense. However, after a battle with Roman Torchwick Simon's knee was destroyed by a round from the criminal's weapon.

Due to the lingering effects of this injury Simon was forced to change tact. He no longer relied upon speed, agility, and acrobatics, building up his muscle mass. In accordance to this Alexander lost some of his acrobatic ability, exchanging it for greater strength and stamina.

As a result of his destroyed knee, Simon's agility and acrobatics are a far cry from what they once were. Because of the knee replacement's tendency to buckle under severe pressure, he simply cannot afford to place too much strain on the joint or it will eventually give out.

As is often the case with warrior archetype OCs, Simon can take a considerable amount of punishment. During his desertion of the Black Fist Simon endured a stab would that would destroy one of his kidneys, and yet he proceeded to briefly engage Roman Torchwick immediately afterwards, only being disabled after catching an explosive round with his right knee.

When compared to many of his contemporaries Edward Laura doesn't cut a very imposing physical presence, and can be described as a 'standard issue' martial artist. His strength and speed were on the level with the average 1st year Beacon student, and while he has shown that he can use his Aura to enhance the latter he typically refrains from such methods.

While his strength, speed, and agility were nothing to write home about, Edward's dexterity and reflexes were by far his greatest assets. These traits took priority above his other attributes due to their importance within Edward's fighting style. As his technique relies heavily upon precision and economy of motion it's easy to see how strength and speed would take a backseat.

Regarding his endurance, Edward is once again average. He has not been shown to be especially fragile or tough in this area. However, his stamina bears closer examination. Due to the military training given by Spearpoint Academy, and the length of time Edward spent studying there, his stamina would have to be well above the average Hunter trained individual within his age group.

When comparing the physical attributes of Fidelis and Joel to Simon and Edward it really is no contest. Nine times out of ten the physicality of a Faunus will outstrip a human's and the augmentation underwent by Joel only widens this gap.

Joel Ambrose and Fidelis get the edge in physicality.

 **Aura Strength and Usage  
**  
To put it simply, Fidelis is an Aura-powered wrecking ball. As a result of a self-activated Aura, all of his potential power has been made available to Fidelis from the beginning of his career potentially giving him access to five times the power typically enjoyed by others his age. However, because he unlocked this power at such a young age Fidelis isn't able to control all of his power and has a limiter implanted in his chest.

This limiter keeps Fidelis safe from his own Aura, restricting it's output so he won't drop dead from the physical strain caused by channeling so much power. As it stands, Fidelis has access to roughly 40% of his Aura at any given time. Therefore he had access to double the Aura of a first year Beacon student.

Because Fidelis has so much power at his fingertips, he employs his Aura in a blunt and direct manner. The most common application he employs is physically augmenting his strength so he can use his weapon, a Gunbai war fan weighing 98lbs. Other common uses include throwing up wind shields, coating his weapon in an Aura barrier, and using his Semblance for ranged wind attacks.

However, this power is a double edged sword. Since Fidelis has so much power at his disposal he has a tendency to lean on that power to carry him through any and all situations. When you add this to the fact that Fidelis knows that he's going to be more powerful than most of his opponents, you get someone who uses their power recklessly.

For example, Fidelis's weapon weighs nearly 100lbs. Because it is so heavy he needs to augment his strength with his Aura to use it effectively. So what will he do when his Aura is depleted? He has never come up with a contingency plan because he is powerful enough that he can steamroll 9/10 enemies. So he just uses his Aura to blitz these inferior opponents without thinking.

A good analogy would be pumping nitrous oxide through an engine. The car will run faster but you will wear out the engine faster than normal. Fidelis will burn his larger Aura faster than a more conservative opponent with less raw power, because he's never had to worry about running out. But when he does, the Dead Wind is in trouble.

Like his partner, Joel Ambrose has a stronger than average Aura. By my own estimation, he possesses about 15% more Aura than the average 1st year Beacon student. Beyond the use of his Semblance, Joel uses his Aura to further enhance his speed, strength and reflexes. This shows itself best in his use of Bastion Silver throwing knives, as the Trapper is able to throw the weapons at such a velocity that they can pierce the bone plates of an Ursa.

Apart from this application, Joel is capable in the realm of physical augmentation but nothing to write home about. His most notable application being the use of his Auratic Healing. Unlike everyone else in this matchup Joel Ambrose is able to heal injuries in a limited capacity during battle, employing stopgap measures in order to stop heavy bleeding and partially nullify pain. This allows him to continue fighting long after other Hunters of his skill level would've been beaten into submission.

As a Black Fist Hunter trained during the Highland War Simon Alexander was trained to use his large Aura as an offensive weapon, and physical augmentation was one of his primary skills in this area. Initially he utilized this power to boost his speed and acrobatic capability, but after his injury he was forced to shift his focus.

Due to his greater muscle mass augmenting his strength became a redundant exercise, but for several months the augmentation of his agility and speed was almost a necessity. While he has been able to recover a measure of his old speed, but it can never be what it once was due to the knee replacement.

After he began work as Weiss Schnee's bodyguard Simon's Aura took a more defensive role, as his body was more able to accommodate his new fighting style with it's native abilities. Therefore more of his Aura is available for defense, which results in greater long-term combative viability.

Unlike everyone else involved in this fight Edward Laura has a lower than average Aura, resting at 80% of the average Beacon freshmen. Because of this disadvantage Edward does not use physical augmentation as heavily as his contemporaries, instead relying upon his native physical capabilities unless no other choice is available.

When augmentation is applied by Edward Laura it is normally used to improve his speed, reflexes, and dexterity. Since he has such a finite source of power this enhancement is normally employed in short bursts instead of a consistent basis.

This approach comes with it's own pros and cons. Edward is incredibly efficient with his Aura, never using more than what is necessary. On the other hand, he is almost always going to be at a disadvantage in terms of how long he can augment himself.

In terms of individual power, the conclusion is obvious. Fidelis takes the top spot, followed Simon and Joel in a tie, and Edward coming in last. In terms of use, the order is almost entirely reversed. Edward is by far the most efficient in the use of Aura, Joel is second, Simon is third, and Fidelis comes in last.

Where this conclusion becomes difficult is when we compare the two teams. Fidelis and Joel are undoubtedly more powerful than Edward and Simon, but Edward has proven that he is more than capable of matching the output of both his opponents while Simon has shown that he can at least contend.

As each combatant is so evenly matched through either power or efficiency, neither side will be awarded the edge in Aura Strength and Usage.

 **Semblance**

As this is such a narrowly focused topic, I will be explaining who receives the edge as I describe their Semblance. In first place is Edward Laura, as his Semblance provides him with a massive tactical advantage. The ability to phase through solid objects can be used for not only defense, but for maneuver and to set up for a counter attack.

Fidelis comes in second. His Wind control, while blunt, is incredibly destructive. He has used it to blast enemies backward, survive falls from great heights, and increase his movement speed.

Simon is in third. While his ability to affect the relative velocity of objects around him is incredibly useful, he lacks the versatility of his ally.

To put it simply, Joel's Semblance is like playing dice with the devil. He is able to convert his normal Aura barrier into electric current, at the cost of defense. The use of such a power is a major calculated risk, because every moment that barrier is down is a moment where defense is impossible. While he may be able to rapidly drain the Aura of an enemy, he is defenseless.

This conclusion is relatively simple. Simon and Edward have versatility on their side. Fidelis may be a juggernaut, but Joel's vulnerability pushes the odds out of their favor.

Edward Laura and Simon Alexander take the edge in Semblance.

 **Equipment**

Fidelis carries a five foot long Gunbai war fan which weighs 98lbs. The bludgeoning end is three and a half feet long and a foot and a half wide while the handle is a foot and a half long. At the end of the handle a tassel is looped around Fidelis's right wrist.

Due to the weapon's balance it is primarily wielded in grand sweeping arcs. The supreme weight behind each blow can crush bones and pulverize soft tissues. This makes Amarum Solace a devastating offensive battlefield weapon, allowing it's wielder to simply crush anything in his way. As a defensive tool, it can be used as a shield to protect it's user from projectile based weapons and mêlée strikes because the sheer mass can take the impacts.

However, this great asset is a double edged sword. Because of the insane weight of this weapon it requires that the user be Gregor Clegane, or physically augment their strength to wield this weapon effectively. This will be a constant drain on the wielder's Aura and limit their long term viability. Normally this isn't an issue, as Fidelis has near-superhuman levels of stamina. But if this fight drags into the ninth or tenth round it will cause problems.

Fortunately, Amarum Solace isn't Fidelis's only weapon. He also possesses a black elbow length metal gauntlet with sharpened talons, allowing him to rip and tear into an enemy's flesh. This metal gauntlet does provide protection against most bladed weapons, but is incapable of deflecting projectiles.

One last piece of kit worth mentioning is Fidelis's mask, a pure white full face variant of the Grimm Masks worn by other members of the White Fang. This mask is armored with several layers of Kevlar and Steel in order to protect Fidelis's head. It also comes equipped with thermal, night vision, (kind of redundant for a Faunus though) and some explosives that detonate whenever someone tries to improperly remove the mask.

All in all, Fidelis's equipment is meant to accommodate his fighting style, and compliments it to a tee.

Due to his role as a Red Hand Trapper Joel Ambrose's armor prioritized maneuverability over protection, meant more to keep the wearer alive rather than completely immunize them from harm. Flak plates on his chest back, elbows, and knees provided moderate protection from ballistic weapons and shrapnel.

What truly set's Joel Ambrose's equipment apart was his weaponry. His primary weapon is a Baton-staff-knife combination called Storm Circuit. As the description suggests, it is a baton that can morph into a six foot long bladed staff, which can in turn shift into a pair of knives with a spool of microfilament wire capable of pulling Joel at considerable speed. In addition to these benefits, he is able to channel electricity into his weapon.

As a ranged option, Joel has two pairs of 24 silver throwing knives at his hips. These weapons can also be used in mêlée combat, though due to their silver alloy construction they are relatively fragile. This is where Joel's combat knife Sparky comes in. Constructed by Ruby Rose as a backup weapon, this knife is nearly identical to his throwing knives.

As a last resort, Joel carries a vial of Electric Dust with him. Should he shatter the glass vial and the Dust enter his bloodstream, the power of his Semblance is increased by several degrees of magnitude. To put this into perspective, he was able to bring down a Bullhead troop carrier with a sustained burst of energy. This comes with it's own risks, using so much power burns a lot of Joel's Aura. When combined with the fact that Joel's defensive Aura barriers are down when he uses his Semblance and you create a major risk.

In conclusion, Joel's equipment is meant to take maximum advantage of his Semblance.

As a Black Fist Hunter trained during the Highland Wars, Simon Alexander's equipment and weapons reflect a soldier's mentality. His primary weapon is a dual bladed battle staff combined with a General Machine Gun. Unlike other battle staves Umbara Vigilans has a shaft that is 90cm in length and a pair of blades that are 45cm each, with the forward blade fixed above the rest of the weapon. This allows the machine gun to be fired while in the staff form.

In addition to this primary weapon, Simon wears a pair of bladed gauntlets constructed from the remains of his previous weapon. These gauntlets are composed of an outer layer of steel reinforced with Kevlar, providing minor resistance from ballistic weaponry. The blades are 30cm in length.

Simon also uses custom body armor which covers his shoulders, lower arms, elbows, chest, flanks, knees, and back. This armor is primarily meant to protect it's wearer from several dozen impacts from mid-powered firearms. It also provides a considerable level of protection against blades. As a supplement to this Alexander has a pair of thermal goggles that he can wear in low light or obscured vision scenarios.

In keeping with his soldier mindset, Simon utilizes a wide variety of grenades and plenty of ammunition. For the sake of the VS Series, assume he has access to two fragmentation, two flashbang, and one smoke grenade. Regarding ammunition, Simon carries six 125 magazines loaded with flechette rounds. These bullets be can best described as flying darts, their lethality coming from their ability to punch through body armor rather than stopping power.

Simon's equipment reflects his training and experience. He carries what a Hunter in a war zone would carry, not what a Hunter would use starring down a Grimm horde.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Edward Laura carried a plethora of weapons both conventional and esoteric along with heavy body armor. His primary weapon is the High Velocity Ballistic Polearm called Specter. This consisted of a titanium-steel alloy Dust imbued shaft that was six feet in length, and was normally fixed with a foot long winged spearhead. Said spearhead could be launched at high speed towards an opponent. He carried two spearheads and an explosive tungsten armor-piercing spike.

As a set of secondary weapons, Edward uses a Qama shortsword with a 17.5 inch blade, complimenting a pair of Dust gloves. These gloves, as the name implies, are imbued with different kinds of Dust that grant the wielder different elemental effects. Corporal Laura currently wears an electric glove on his left hand and a wind glove on his right.

Finally we reach his holdout weapons, often carried as concealed weapons when he is in civilian settings. These consist of a pair of push knives attached to the back of his belt and a small six-shot .380 pistol loaded with hollow point rounds.

What truly sets Edward Laura apart from his contemporaries is his apparel, displaying a mix of Dust and armor. Foremost among them is his armored greatcoat. Imbued with a mix of fire, water, and wind Dust to create mist, generate gusts of wind for various purposes, and any number of various unexplored possibilities. It is backed with earth Dust imbued chainmail to provide a large area of protection.

Other components of armor include a Dust imbued chainmail shirt with elbow length sleves, vambraces, greaves, and an armored full-face Grimm mask which comes equipped with thermal and night vision.

Taken as a whole, Edward Laura's equipment feels like something from a lost age. It combines the steel of materiel world with arcane Dust applications to create a unique set of options, typical of an assassin.

This conclusion is relatively straightforward. Fidelis and Joel are both well equipped fighters who chose equipment to suit their needs. Unfortunately this does not hold a candle to the options and protection provided by the load outs of Edward and Simon. Since Joel's arsenal relies heavily upon electricity he is going to have difficulty with Edward and Simon. Their body armor simply doesn't conduct electricity, and that places Joel at a massive disadvantage. Similarly, Fidelis's gauntlet will not be as effective against heavy armor as it is against softer targets.

Edward Laura and Simon Alexander take the edge in Equipment.

 **Martial Arts Training and Tactical Prowess  
**  
During his time with the Black Fist Simon Alexander earned a reputation as a great warrior, personally killing many friends of the assassin Schwartzer Belladonna. Given the era he was trained in, effectiveness against multiple Auraless assailants and groups is practically a given, as is effectiveness against groups of Grimm.

In combat, he can be described as an offensive dervish. Normally starting combat with a burst of machine gun fire or a fragmentation grenade to soften up the enemy before charging in with the battle staff.

When Simon has closed with the enemy, his martial offense can be best described by the mantra 'victory through superior firepower.' His first action is to try and overwhelm their defenses with a flurry of powerful strikes using both ends of the staff. Should this initial assault fail Simon tries to defend with his gun staff, working hard to retake the offensive initiative.

This offense was mostly reliant on arcing cuts meant to dismember an enemy as quickly as possible. While the thrust wasn't completely abandoned by Alexander it certainly took a backseat, mainly because the cut is more useful against multiple opponents.

While this offense is absolutely devastating on the battlefield it does have its problems. Due to the sheer number of enemies on a battlefield Simon cannot try and out-fence every enemy in front of him, lest he open himself up to other threats. Therefore he developed a style meant to overwhelm and kill the enemy as quickly as possible.

When fighting Simon falls into a very distinct pattern. Engage, overwhelm, kill, engage, overwhelm, kill, rinse and repeat. As stated before, this is a great approach for the battlefield because it allows him to easily change focus and carve a bloody murder canyon through a massed enemy formation.

While this approach is absolutely devastating, when adapted to single combat it becomes a major calculated risk. He has adapted this staggered battlefield oriented style of fighting into a committed offensive approach, following the same battlefield patters of 'engage, overwhelm, kill' into 'engage, overwhelm, maintain forward momentum.' This tactic leaves Simon incredibly flexible, as he is able to apply his approach on instinct without having to think. Unfortunately it also makes his tactical responses painfully predictable.

This isn't something that can be counted too heavily against him, as this is a case of Simon's circumstances dictating his style. But it does limit his options when engaging an enemy who can defend against his offensive, as he is going to eventually break off to reload his weapon and prepare a grenade or two.

As far as defense goes Simon's skills are, I hesitate to use the term shoddy as he is quite capable, but he is inconsistent. When engaging a group of opponents Simon is capable of utilizing acrobatics to evade an enemy's strike before countering, using this to great effect against both Black Fist and White Fang troops. However, when facing Hunter trained opponents he follows the mindset 'a good offense is the best defense.' Alexander blitzkriegs his adversaries with a barrage of slashes and cuts before breaking off and going again, slamming himself against their defenses until it shatters.

This becomes a problem when he is incapable of overwhelming his enemy's guard with this approach. As they are able to counterattack Simon has severe difficulty meeting an enemy's offensive head on, preferring to evade the enemy. When this isn't an option Simon has repeatedly crumbled underneath a sustained enemy offensive, notable examples being his battles with Schwartzer Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Levi Hartman. In every example Simon has been either overpowered or outmaneuvered after Simon failed to break through their guards.

Where tactics are concerned, Simon's definitely more improvisational than strategic. He tends to charge first and think later, in keeping with his aggressive Black Fist. When engaged he adapts on the fly, prioritizing his targets on the battlefield and neutralizing them accordingly. However, he has a recklessness streak, allowing his emotions to dictate his tactical responses just as often as logic. A perfect example of this tendency was his multiple fights against Levi Hartman and his fight against White Fang troopers during the events of RWBY Volume 1. Before he realizes that he is in trouble Simon has already been outmaneuvered or wounded, and would've been killed in the latter example if the White Fang swordsman hadn't decided to monologue.

This should not be taken as detracting from Simon's accomplishments. At the end of the day he is a highly skilled warrior with plenty of experience under his belt. His skills and tactics are simply better suited for the battlefield, and even when fighting in single combat he's a force to be reckoned with.

As one of the White Fang's chief enforcers Fidelis was obviously an incredibly deadly combatant. Due to the logistics of his weapon, his offense was simple yet devastating. Given the time he operated, Fidelis had extensive experience against groups. Grand sweeping arcs of his war fan were used to bludgeon and break his opponents, and the weapon is often used as a shield to defend against projectile attacks.

In single combat, Fidelis subscribes to the Leeroy Jenkins school of tactics. In layman's terms, charge his enemies head on relying upon sheer power and stamina to see him through. It should be obvious that swinging a 98lb war fan around is absolutely devastating, practically ignoring body armor and pulverizing bone. The Dead Wind uses his weapon like a sledgehammer, bulldozing everything in it's path.

If this approach wasn't effective Fidelis wouldn't be held in such high esteem. However, this all-out offensive approach isn't without it's share of problems. As Fidelis is clearly an offensive juggernaut with a large pool of Aura for defense he has become both predictable and arrogant. His unyielding offense leaves massive openings in his defense that have been exploited on more than one occasion, and the logistics of his weapon force him to telegraph his strikes. Those grand sweeping motions that are devastating when they hit can be seen from a mile away, and an attentive opponent can defend against or evade them.

A good example of this would be his battle with Nick Alto, where the student was able to use the defensive openings created by Fidelis's constant offensive barrage in order to cause severe damage (however temporary) to the Dead Wind's hearing. This disrupted the faunus's balance for the rest of that fight and nearly resulted in his defeat.

One factor that cannot be overlooked when examining Fideis's combat effectiveness is fatigue. While he does possess prodigious levels of physical stamina the same cannot be applied to his Aura. This is a result of Amarum Solace's insane weight and his near constant use of his Semblance. Swinging around such a heavy weapon is impossible without the use of Aura based physical augmentation, when combined with the near continuous Aura intensive use of Fidelis's Semblance and you have a fighter who is racing against the clock.

In conclusion, Fidelis can be best described as a berserker. He can unleash an absolutely devastating offensive and can definitely take a hit, but he is arrogant and reckless, charging headfirst into combat without thinking ahead. If he cannot overwhelm his enemies outright within the first few minutes of the fight he will burn all of his resources. The key word there is if. Surviving Fidelis's onslaught is easier said than done, and he has ultimately earned his reputation as a fearsome warrior.

In keeping with his position as a Grey Mask apprentice Edward Laura is a pragmatic and skilled fighter. Due to his role as an assassin Wraith was forced to develop a wide variety of skills to prepare himself for a wide variety of enemies. His first love was the use of polearms, specifically a winged spear and quarterstaff.

Laura's fighting style was characterized by a heavy emphasis on precision and tactical supremacy. The use of polearms was bolstered by the application of Dust-based attacks into Edward's combat sequences. As a specialized duelist, Laura has chosen to prepare himself for single combat against an opposing Hunter. To this end, he has chosen to become multifaceted fighter who is better at exploiting the enemy's weaknesses than using a proven consistent method. Therefore, it is worth examining how Edward conducted himself in three radically different scenarios to better predict his reaction in this fight.

When engaging the rest of Team MELT in a training exercise Edward chose to take some time beforehand to cover the arena in fog, obscuring his enemy's vision. Then he used psychological warfare to further intimidate his subordinates before rushing them with quarterstaff and shortsword. After they got over the initial rush and ganged up on the assassin he activated his Semblance and shot the best fighter among them (Hanta Tori) then used the distraction to gain distance between himself and the enemy. Immediately after this, May Ignis used her flamethrower to dispel the fog and Laura was lit up like a Christmas Tree.

During an ambush by a team of Hunter Trained mercenaries Wraith first responded by limiting their advantage in numbers and positioning by running into an alleyway. After a brief hand-to-hand engagement with one of them he threw said mercenary at his comrade before using Dust to redirect a Ice projectile cutting off the attacker's line of advance. With the immediate threat now avoided Laura lept to the rooftop and met a sniper, before immediately jumping off the building and into a group of SWAT officers who promptly arrested him.

Finally, during a sword duel with Hanta Tori Edward utilized a combination of swordsmanship and Dust based attacks in order to bypass his opponents defenses and press his own advantages. In this fight in particular we have seen Laura use some truly devious and subtle applications of Dust such as channeling electrical energy along his weapons to disturb his enemy's swordsmanship, pulling an enemy onto his blade, lifting and throwing objects in the environment to attack from unexpected vectors, and most impressively, catching an opponent's weapon with a concentrated application of Wind Dust.

While undoubtedly effective, this method has it's problems like the others. Due to his multifaceted focus Edward simply isn't a committed martial artist, and is obviously more interested in using martial arts as a tactical tool instead of a go-to response. In terms of pure skill with the blade I would put him squarely on par with Blake Belladonna, a solid Tier 2 fighter.

As a tactician and strategist Edward Laura is cunning, devious, and subtle. The use of Dust for both attack and defense is second nature, as is using the substance for environmental manipulation. In a more material sense Edward was a duelist through and through, analyzing his opponent and responding with the most effective combination of skills. He has also proven that he can use psychological warfare to his advantage, wielding fear and terror with practiced ease.

This approach can be best described as a combination of concordat opposition and incremental escalation. He initially engages the enemy with conventional methods, deciphering their techniques and developing a strategy to defeat them as efficiently as possible. Against Dahlia Deluna Edward speed blitzed her and overwhelmed her defenses in seconds. When faced with Alec Kriger he used the weather to bypass his armor with lightning. During his duel with Tori Hanta Wraith quickly realized that he was outmatched as a swordsman, so he responded with the form of attack he knew Tori couldn't defend against, Dust and quickly turned the situation to his favor.

Ultimately Wraith could be described as a combat philosopher, taking the path of least resistance through his own understanding of martial arts and tactics. His technique was marked by cunning, precision and complete the integration of Dust. While he wasn't he best fighter in terms of skill with a blade, he was certainly a brilliant tactician and strategist who stands tall as a credit to both his instructors and his order.

Joel Ambrose was noted as one of the most dangerous members of the Red Hands Second Generation Trappers, and he certainly earned his reputation. Thanks to his training at Aegis Academy Joel was a highly skilled close range fighter and due to his time in the Red Hand he was highly experienced in this area, regularly engaging the physically superior Faunus race in hand to hand combat.

The Immortal took full advantage of his physical augmentation, primarily focused in his wrists and lower arms, to power brutal offensives utilizing his staff, various knives, and hands. Ambrose's most visible skill was his integration of physical strikes into his combat techniques, lashing out with inhuman strength and speed toward openings in his opponents guard. He has been able to splinter bone and cave in armor in a single blow.

Speed-based offensives were the bread and butter of his technique both on and off the battlefield. Joel is easily capable of bulldozing several Auraless enemies with little effort, and is able to contend with powerful Hunter-trained adversaries such as Mercury Black, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie.

Another staple of his was the use of his Semblance to enhance the effectiveness of both his weapons and unarmed techniques. Unfortunately, since Joel needs to bring down his Aura barriers before using his electric powers he is playing a dangerous game. Normally this isn't an issues as the vast majority of people he fights aren't Aura trained, but when confronted with a Hunter he has to be insanely cautious with his Semblance.

Now we come to the major flaw in Joel's overall fighting style, the mental strain it places on the wielder. He is a great improvisational fighter, and absolutely lethal should he make contact with an unprotected area. However, he is so focused on ensuring that his own technique is executed correctly and keeping his Semblance in check that he is constantly missing tactical opportunities and allowing his opponents to gain the strategic advantage. This particular weakness has brought Ambrose to heel on multiple occasions, including his sparring matches with Virgil, combatting the wolf faunus twins of team GLDN, and his battle against Pyrrha Nikos during the Vytal Tournament. In the latter example Pyrrha Nikos specifically notes that this approach requires a certain amount of recklessness to pull off, and she is correct in that assessment.

To fight like Joel Ambrose is to play with fire. He will either completely destroy the enemy before him, or burn up in the attempt. Uncompromising skill and ruthlessness is held back by recklessness and disregard of his own personal safety, the greatest weapon in his arsenal is his greatest weakness. Make no mistake, Joel Ambrose is undoubtedly one of the best fighters I have ever had the honor of examining, but his fighting style is the dance of the extremist. In many ways he can be compared to Icarus, flying highest of all at the risk of burning in the sun's rays.

Every fighter involved in this contest is a highly skilled and experienced martial artist, and when compared by the numbers these teams match each other to a tee. Fidelis's lack of technical sophistication is balanced out by Joel's supreme skill and utter mastery of his fighting style. Simon's recklessness is balanced by Edward's tactical mind.

On the same token, Joel's vulnerability is balanced out by Fidelis's overwhelming power and Edward's lack of firepower is balanced by Simon abundance. So no matter how much I think I cannot declare a definitive advantage one way or the other. No edge is awarded for martial arts training and tactical prowess.

 **The Final Verdict  
**  
Taken purely on their individual merits, these teams are dead equal. Fidelis's and Joel's physics advantage cancelled out by the equipment and Semblances of Edward and Simon. There is a more likely outcome, born from the logistics of their fighting styles and equipment. As a final tally, odds to the victor are 55/100.

One factor that is important to consider is that three of these characters appear in the same AU, and this would effect who would engage whom. With Simon's reputation among the White Fang as a skilled fighter it is likely that Fidelis would engage the former terrorist through a storm of gunfire. This would leave Joel Ambrose to take on Edward Laura.

Simon, despite his physical injury, would be able to contend with Fidelis's speed through the use of his Semblance, slowing down the juggernaut's weapon and making defense far easier. After a brief initial engagement where Simon is driven into his back foot they would reach an impasse, with Fidelis either blocking or tanking Simon's desperate counters and Simon evading the Dead Wind's massive weapon.

Meanwhile Joel and Edward would meet in a battle of overwhelming speed against precision and efficiency. Due to the non-conductive properties of Edward's body armor and weapons it is unlikely that Joel would be able to attack the Grey Mask with his Semblance, his only viable targets being the spearman's upper legs. The longer reach of Wraith's weapon combined with his use of Wind Dust would allow him to keep the Trapper at arm's reach, ensuring that he is able to halt Ambrose's forward momentum while dismantling his defenses.

At this point, the course of battle is decided by a simple question. Would Edward be able to exploit the openings provided by Joel's Semblance before Fidelis bludgeons Simon into paste? If the answer is no, he's screwed. There's no way in hell that Laura would be able to contend with two adversaries who have such a massive raw power advantage. However, I'm inclined to believe that Edward would be able to either incapacitate or kill Joel before this happens. Mainly due to how often Joel uses his Semblance in battle, and if the Immortal attempted Lightning Dust Infusion all he would accomplish is the complete drain of his own Aura. In the end, Joel would be brought down by a either spearhead or shortsword through the chest, or a quarterstaff blow to the neck.

With Joel out of the picture Fidelis would now have to contend with two fighters who possess a greater level of skill, if not raw power. At this point Edward and Simon would work in tandem to keep Fidelis on his back foot, preventing the faunus from launching a sustained offensive. He would be assailed oenemy'sh a direct and strategic front, Simon contending with the Dead Wind on a martial front while Edward would attack on a strategic level, using either his Dust abilities or some environmental advantage to keep Fidelis off balance and slowly drain his Aura.

Fidelis would initially have the time of his life, but would soon realize that he was in trouble. Now two more questions arise.

Can Fidelis then put enough distance between himself and his two adversaries to deactivate his limiter, unleashing his full might upon the enemy.

If so, would that be enough to defeat Simon and Edward before the strain caused by his Aura rips Fidelis apart?

I'll answer the second question first. We have never seen Fidelis actually be torn apart by his own Aura, so he has at least a couple minutes at full strength before he falls unconscious. If this were a contest against just Simon the answer would be yes, as his defenses and evasion just wouldn't be enough to hold out. However, he is forced to split his attention between Simon, and the much more evasive Edward. Odds are fifty/fifty that one them would live long enough for Fidelis to drop dead from strain.

Now for the first question. I find it unlikely that Fidelis would have the opportunity to unleash his power, as both of his opponents would be constantly harassing the faunus, and if the faunus were able to blast them both with his Semblance it would likely only effect Simon. Edward is able to put up his own wind barrier to parry the attack and continue the fight with Simon providing a fusillade of support fire from a distance.

From then on the battle turns into a countdown until death for Fidelis, his defenses overloaded by the ferocity and strength of Simon combined with the variety and precision of Edward. It is possible that one of them would take a lethal blow before the Dead Wind finally went down. Their victory is by no means a guarantee and it is entirely possible that Fidelis and Joel can come out on top, but in the end I declare Simon Alexander and Edward Laura the battered, bloody, and broken victors.

 **I would like to thank The Baz, Mojo1586, CC-2224 Commander Cody, and Wa7chface for all their cooperation, support, and patience. I really couldn't have done this without you guys. If any of you disagree on this verdict I completely understand, this was easily the hardest match for me to call so far. I will hopefully see you all in the next fight, Simon Alexander Vs Edward Laura.**


	6. The Shadow Vs The Wraith

**Sorry for the wait everyone. I've been busy recently with rl stuff, hopefully this is worth it. This is my first time writing a fight scene so let me know what you think.**

 **Now, it is my great pleasure to present to you the VS Series Season 1 Finale, Simon Alexander Vs Edward Laura.**

 **The Ghost of Exton VS The Archangel's Apprentice**

The only son of Anthony and Martha Alexander, Simon was born seventeen years before the Battle of Beacon. At the age of twelve, a Civil Rights group turned terrorist organization called the White Fang entered the town of Exton and killed the young boy's parents. After Running from his burning home Alexander fled into the city of Vale, where he stowed away on a cargo ship to Atlas.

Within mere days of his arrival Simon was discovered by Roman Torchwick, who offered to take Simon somewhere he could take revenge on those who killed his family. Accepting his offer, Simon was recruited into the Black Fist terror group. After two years of intense training and passing his last test Alexander was deployed to the Atlesian Highlands.

For the next eighteen months the Vengeful Ghost served as a member of Rum Squad under the command of Captain Ty Kruger. During this time he regularly took part in covert military action against the Atleasian White Fang, personally assassinating high ranking officials in an attempt to draw out Schwartzer Belladonna. During a battle at the White Fang Headquarters Simon had the opportunity to face enemy one last time and, with the assistance of his sniper allies, killed him.

Deserting the Black Fist after the assassination of a Atleasian Councilman, Alexander found himself severely wounded by two of his former squad mates. After six months of medical treatment Simon was hired by the head of the Schnee Dust Company as a bodyguard for his daughter Weiss.

Serving in this capacity for a year, Simon caught the attention of Headmaster Ozpin. Receiving an offer to attend Beacon Academy as a first year student, Alexander was placed in command of team SNST. Now he fights to protect his surviving Black Fist orphans both from kingdom authorities and themselves.

Born into the nobility of Spearpoint, Edward Laura's career was decided due to the reputation of his siblings. As the youngest child of a Huntress and a weapon mogul, Edward would be expected to enroll in Spearpoint Academy at the age of twelve. Fulfilling this criteria, he was trained at the militarized schools for four years, two of them being under the Infiltrator Program.

After graduation Edward then moved to Vale in order to work at the local Laura Armories branch. Within weeks of his arrival he was nearly killed by a rogue vigilante, only surviving due to the intervention of the Grey Mask operative Archangel.

He spent several weeks recovering from this battle and was approached by the Grandmaster of the Order, Kane Darius. His offer was simple, become a Grey Mask and dedicate his life to the ideals of the order in exchange for an apprenticeship.

The newly christened Wraith spent most of his time studying at the feet of Archangel, learning the tenets of precision and control above brute force. Early on in the third year of his apprenticeship Edward was tasked with infiltrating Beacon Academy in order discern the source of a recent spike in rouge Hunters.

 **Physical Attributes and Handicaps  
**  
I'm going to assume that all of you have read the last chapter of this series, so I'm not going to bore you by restating my previous breakdowns of their various physical attributes. Therefore I will be comparing their physical capabilities side by side.

In terms of strength, Simon has a significant advantage, possessing a far more solid and bulky build. While Edward is by no means weak his strength is sufficient, nothing more. Simon has been repeatedly noted for his physical brute force.

Where agility is concerned Laura takes this by quite a significant margin. He has been repeatedly shown crossing large distances in less than a second, even when discounting Aura based physical augmentation he has still proven to be far more agile than Simon, who is hampered by a knee injury.

Dexterity similarly favors the Grey Mask, his fighting style demanded a large amount of precision and he has not only met, but surpassed those demands. Simon isn't lacking in this area, but he isn't even close to his competition.

Stamina is a deadlock, as neither fighter has succumbed to fatigue.

Endurance favors Simon, as he has taken far more punishment than we have seen Edward take.

This is a tricky one to call, as on paper both Edward and Simon have answers to the other's advantages. Therefore I must ask myself which of these physicalities would remain viable in a war of attrition. Under those circumstances Edward's physicality just doesn't hold up.

I give Simon Alexander the edge in Physicality

 **Aura Power and Use**

As this is an exceedingly short section I will just come out and give you the verdict. If you need a refresher I went into more detail my last chapter.

Edward and Simon are roughly equal in this area, Simon's raw power balanced out by Edward's more efficient application. Through the use of witchcraft known as algebra I calculated the ratio of power between Edward and Simon. Laura has roughly 80% the Aura of the average Beacon student, Simon has roughly 115% the Aura of the average 1st year. Divide 1.15 by .8 to get the ratio of power between Edward and Simon. Simon has 44% more Aura than Edward, but he also uses his Aura much more for physical augmentation. Unlike with my last video Simon doesn't use his power with reckless abandon like Fidelis.

I give Simon Alexander the edge in Aura Power and Use

 **Equipment**

Simon Alexander carried a Dual Bladed Battle Staff called Umbara Viglanis. This weapon has a 90cm shaft and 45cm blades on either end. In addition to his blades the staff fired small flechettes at 300rpm. Due to the blades on either end of the staff he wasn't able to take full advantage of this length.

In combination with this weapon is Simon's bladed gauntlets. Constructed from the blades of his old battle staff Vendix Umbara each gauntlet goes up to his elbows and has a 30cm blade. He also carries several smoke, flashbang and fragmentation Dust grenades, and for the purposes of this fight I will assume that he has two of the flashbangs and frags and a single smoke grenade.

As far as body armor goes, Simon wears his soldier's past on his sleeve. He wears a set of kevlar plated ballistic gear that covers his chest, stomach, shoulders, lower arms, head, and knees. (He won't have access to his Cipher mask in this fight, as it isn't part of his standard equipment.) Notably, his boots are steel toed, and can likely deflect strikes directed at this area.

Alexander does have a significant last-ditch effort in a switchblade coated in Anti-Aura Dust. However this blade can only penetrate an enemy's Aura for the first strike, and if it strikes armor or an unimportant target it is a wasted effort.

Unlike the vast majority of his contemporaries Edward Laura carried a plethora of weapons. His primary weapons was the High Velocity Ballistic Polearm Specter, which possessed a six foot long Dust and metal alloy shaft and a foot long winged spearhead. This spearhead could be launched at eighty miles per hour, and a Tungsten armor piercing spike could be launched at sixty miles per hour.

He also carried a Spearpoint Infiltrator's longsword. As a product of Laura Armories this blade was forge welded from two different types of Dust imbued steel. The spine of this blade was made of steel imbued with Earth Dust, while the blade was made out of Lightning Dust. This blade also possessed a full width tang and a Impact Dust imbued pommel. The tang of this weapon allows Edward to conduct and amplify electricity along the blade, while the Dust in his pommel of the weapon enhances the effectiveness of pommel strikes.

Where smaller blades were concerned he was equipped with a standard quillion dagger and a pair of push knives. The dagger served a dual purpose, as it could be wielded alongside either Edward's spear or sword as an off hand weapon (in a fashion similar to the left hand daggers carried by the Renaissance rapier fencers.) or alone in close quarters combat. The push knives were used to enhance the effectiveness of hand to hand combat and as a concealed carry option.

In the realm of firearms Edward carried two pistols, a H&K mk 23 pistol in a shoulder holster underneath his right arm and a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard in his left boot. As of the time of writing this breakdown Edward only carried three magazines of ammunition for the .45, all of which were steel core armor piercing rounds and only two magazines of .380 hollow points for his S&W.

Body armor and apparel was where Edward's kit truly distinguished itself. We shall begin at his face, which was covered by a Spearpoint Hunter's Grimm mask. This headgear came equipped with air filtration systems, voice modification, light reactive lenses, thermal and night vision, and was constructed of two thin layers of Dust imbued materials, the first being Kevlar and the second being steel. While it wasn't nearly as protective as his other equipment it does provide a protection against small caliber firearms and a high level of protection against both stabs and cuts.

Going further down his body Edward's upper arms, and shoulders were protected by a double layer of Dust imbued chainmail and an inch thick padded shirt, the first layer provided by an armored greatcoat and the second given by a chainmail shirt. This greatcoat was imbued with a combination of water, wind and fire Dust to provide a number of options to the wearer, including the ability to generate mist and unleash powerful gusts of wind.

His chest was something of an odd case. If Edward chose to button up the greatcoat than he would effectively have a triple layer of protection over his chest. However, this would restrict his access to his shoulder holster and he normally refrains from doing so. Therefore the protection provided to Edward's chest often varies depending on weather or not his coat currently covers the area.

Moving on to his legs, Edward's upper legs are protected from the sides by his coat but are exposed from the front. His lower legs were protected by metal greaves which extended from the top of his kneecap to his ankle. Wraith's arms were protected in a similar manner, everything from the elbows on up is protected by a double layer of mail while everything below is protected by a steel vambrace over a layer of mail.

Laura's hands were exposed, instead being covered by a pair of gloves that were imbued with Dust. His left hand had access to Lightning while his right controlled Wind.

Despite the fact it took me more than two f**king pages to detail Laura's kit this is a rather close category. Both Simon and Edward use equipment that compliment their personal fighting styles and each have effective counters to what the other is bringing to the table in this area. They each wear body armor that protects them from the most likely threat they faced in combat, Simon's explosives are countered by Edward's Dust, they each carry firearms, (Edward's having more stopping power while Simon's are better at piercing body armor.) and they each use polearms along with backup weapons. At first glance they're even, but the devil is in the details.

Umbara Viglanis's staff form lacks the reach of Specter even without the spearhead, Simon's gauntlets do not compare to the longsword and dagger carried by Laura, and Edward's armor protects far more of his body than Simon's. The use of explosives and Dust pertain more to their personal applications of such tools and will be addressed during the Martial Arts Training and Tactical Prowess section of this matchup. While the Anti-Aura blade is a significant advantage in Simon's corner it is more of a wild card than a concrete advantage, because it is only good for one strike.

I give Edward Laura the edge in Equipment

 **Semblace**

This is also a short one, so here's the verdict.

Edward's ability to phase through solid objects allows him more options for defense against Simon's ability to alter the relative velocities of objects around him. The use of Edward's Semblance allows him to counter both gunfire and grenades while I doubt that Simon can slow down a bolt of lightning enough for it to make a difference.

I give Edward Laura the edge in Semblance

 **Martial Arts Training and Tactical Prowess**

Since I have done a brief examination of their martial capabilities in the last chapter I shall go into far more detail here, as I have more time to focus on each character individually and explain the nuances of their styles.

Edward Laura was not a committed martial artist, but it is blatantly obvious that he didn't allow this de-emphasis on martial arts evolve into a glaring weakness. As a martial artist he seemed to follow a strong European pedigree, reading the various books and treatises written by George Silver and Fiore De Liberi. This points to a massive amount of academic combat knowledge and a wide skill set. Therefore he holds knowledge in a wide variety of skills that ranges from unarmed grappling, bladed combat including everything from halberds, to push knives, to the quarterstaff.

His technique with his primary weapon was both direct and devious using the collapsible shaft of the weapon to off balance and disorient opponents. Edward used this technique to great effect against both Solemn and Artheal Archenar, using the wings to hook and manipulate their limbs or launch attacks from unexpected ankles. This display showed Laura's total understanding of the logistics behind his weapon.

Edward's technique with a longsword was where the influence of Fiore de Liberi could be most felt. His favored tactic was to bind and wind his opponent's blade out of the way before striking at a newly exposed line. In his _Flower of Battle_ Fiore also emphasised the use of the entire longsword as a weapon, so Edward would no doubt be familiar with these techniques.

Notably, Wraith has shown an advanced level of skill with dual weapon fencing, using his staff (contracted to a two foot parrying device) and his longsword in tandem to great effect against Solemn Archenar, he has also used longsword and dagger against his teammates. Where unarmed combat was concerned, Edward was likely an advanced practitioner due to his marital pedigree. However we have yet to see him fluidly apply this skill into his normal combat sequences, suggesting that this skill was a secondary focus at best and wasn't a response he was comfortable with employing.

There is a great deal more to say about his use of Dust, as he was obviously a high level expert in this field and I would go as far to say that he focused just as much ,if not more, on these abilities compared to his martial skills. His most advanced power was with Wind, as he has done everything from catch a sword blade to slowing his momentum with this power, disrupt the footwork and stances of his opponents, dispel clouds of debris, manipulate projectiles, protect himself from intense heat and flames, grip and throw objects, slow down his fall during Beacon initiation, and even pull an opponent onto his blade. Another power he held a considerable amount of skill in was Lighting, where he has summoned blasts with enough power to send his targets flying back, stagger an opponent's advance, and even kill an Aura trained opponent. In addition to these more standard applications he has twice shown the capability to channel electric energy through conductive objects, enhancing the effect of his attacks by interfering with his opponent's ability to wield their weapon.

In contrast to the vast majority of his contemporaries Edward had two different fighting modes.

The first mode was used when Laura faced either multiple opponents or someone he considered to be vastly inferior to him in skill. This consisted of blitzkrieging them with his highly augmented speed and marital skills. He displayed this during his engagement with Dahlia Deluna and a training exercise with team MELT.

The second was used when engaging a Hunter trained adversary of equal or near equal skill and power and consisted of a push and pull method of attack and defense in order to prevent his adversary from gaining an offensive or defensive foothold. This method was backed up by an expertise in integrating Dust-based attacks for both attack and defense. Through his latest duel with Hant Tori and his engagements with the Archenar twins we are given a perfect window into his typical methods. Laura started the battle by allowing the enemy the first strike, he then parried their weapon and used the bind to force the enemy's weapon off line and countering with a blow to a now-exposed line of attack. He then either pulled back and repeated the pattern, or if the enemy refused to attack he used the longer reach and agility of his own weapons to strike out at his opponent's extremities, aiming for the arms and legs of the enemy in order to disrupt their defenses. He does not just sit back and wait for an opening to be presented to him, rather forcing an opening that he can immediately exploit to maximum effect. Though it will not factor into this fight, Edward is highly skilled in pre battle preparation, using it to defeat Aleic Krieger and gain a home field advantage over team MELT. Lastly, Edward had some skill in psychological warfare, using both fear, anger, and 'shock and awe' tactics to manipulate and goade his enemies.

For all of his merits, Edward Laura had his share of weaknesses. He has been physically outclassed by Nora Valkyrie, Aleic Krieger, and Gregory Volker, his own physicality unable to keep up with his far stronger opponents. As I stated earlier, Edward wasn't dedicated to the absolute mastery of any one skill. So he isn't going to be the best martial artist or Dust mage in the world. However, I think the perception that he would have trouble with a master of any particular weapon (as stated by Simon ironically) needs closer examination. He was able to stand toe to with Gregory Volker's dual knife assault with only a single blade, contend with Tori Hanta in a straight up duel, and completely dominated his engagement with Atheal Archenar. Every one of these fighters have dedicated themselves completely to their particular weapons, and Edward was able to stand his ground against each of them.

Something that must be taken into account is Edward's lack of overall magnitude with his Dust abilities. While fighters like Teal Wolfsbane, Weiss Schnee, and Elizabeth Briar are capable of lashing out at multiple targets with devastating effect. Laura is incapable of this, though it is more due to how he has built up his skill set. As a Grey Mask assassin Edward Laura's focus was on engaging single Aura trained opponents, accordingly he isn't able to wipe out a platoon of soldiers with a storm of lightning or melt several cars with a wave of lava. Instead he can fire off his powers any time he wants at a single point. This represents a massive trade off, on one hand Edward is incredibly precise, on the other he won't be able to engage a large number of targets with his Dust powers should the need arise.

In conclusion, Edward is a highly skilled combatant and an expert tactician, using every tool at his disposal to both capitalize on his strengths and answer his weaknesses. He can never have the levels of raw power that his contemporaries possess but he makes up for it with precision and control. Ultimately he is a credit to his instructors and his Order, and underestimating him would be a costly mistake indeed.

A Black Fist Hunter trained during the war torn years of the Highlands War, Simon Alexander became one of the deadliest warriors among their ranks. During his time training with other orphans he became one of the de facto leaders of the group. While he was attached to Rum Squad he proved to be one of the team's more valuable assets, as he was the only Aura trained fighter among them and quickly learned various skills that would assist him survive the war. He was a committed warrior, who practiced extensively with polearms in order to master his battle staff. He also learned the skills of long range marksmanship, demolitions, stealth tactics, and basic small unit tactics.

As a committed warrior Simon was highly skilled in the use of polearms, specifically his battle staff Umbara Viglanis. This skill has been advanced to the point where he could contend with the vast majority of his peers, even those with greater skill in armed combat such as Pyrrha Nikos. His technique in this area was based around solid footwork and strength based offensives, using vicious cuts and cleaves to carve his way through the enemy. Simon was skilled in using thrusts with his primary weapon of choice, but the effectiveness of these strikes is very diminished by the logistics of his weapon. Due to the massive blades on either end of his weapon Simon cannot use thrusts on the center line of attack without taking one hand off of the weapon, he also cannot take advantage of the weapon's full length because he isn't going to grip the blades.

He also possesses a certain level of skill with unarmed combat, and has applied this skill with the use of bladed gauntlets. His most common application of these weapons was to use them like lethal boxing gloves, using punches to eviscerate his enemies.

During his time with Rum Squad he also became a high level expert in long range combat and demolition, using these skills during the Highlands war. Notably, he was part of the kill team that performed the assassination of an Atleasian councilman. However these skills will not play into this matchup, as each fighter only has their standard equipment. What would come into play is Simon's skill with grenades, as the explosive weapons would be readily available to the Shadow. These weapons have always been a hallmark of Simon's style, weather he's using them to flush an enemy out of cover, as an opening of a duel, or to cover his own retreat.

Simon was highly skilled at integrating unarmed strikes into his combat sequences, frequently using them against both Hunter trained enemies and common soldiers of the Black Fist and White Fang. His most common moves in this area normally included bladed punches, kicks at his opponent's knees, groin shots, and elbow strikes. He was also adept in unarmed grappling, often putting enemies into arm bars. Alexander also had a small level of skill with psychological warfare, but his methods in this area were based on very general intimidation. They are of no use against a disciplined warrior who knows what to expect.

The tactics of Simon Alexander were highly consistent, if improvised. His first action was always a burst of gunfire followed by a charge with Umbara Viglanis. During the ensuing melee Alexander would unleash his own dedicated offensive with both body and blade. If he didn't break his opponent's guard he broke off to regroup and utilize his firearms or explosives before reengaging. When all else failed he used his Semblance to gain a temporary advantage in melee combat. On a broader strategic level Simon was definitely more improvisational than strategic, taking advantage of openings that he saw in his opponent's fighting styles with unarmed strikes. He was also a very reactive fighter, reacting to his opponent's strategy rather than trying to actively force these openings. This approach was incredibly successful, overpowering most opponents outright and allowing Simon to carve a bloody swath through the battlefield.

As effective as this approach was, it had problems. The nature of his style dictated that Simon must build up and maintain momentum when engaging equal or near equal opponents and when this momentum was broken his offense all but collapsed. Simon's defenses in single combat weren't as refined as fighters in and around his skill level, and he has been left scrambling when his opposition was able to retaliate. This deficiency in particular has nearly cost Alexander his life on more than one occasion, including his fights against Schwartzer Belladonna, Roman Torchwick, and Levi Hartman.

When all's said and done Simon is an incredibly lethal force both on the battlefield, and in single combat. His blades have left dozens dead in the snows of the Atleasian Highlands and defeated several opponents in the sparring arena. He has survived engagements with four of the most dangerous terrorists in Vale, and his reputation as a great warrior is well earned.

In my view Simon Alexander is the more skilled warrior, but Edward Laura isn't far off. Remember that this is the guy with seven confirmed kills, at least one of which was against a Black Fist Hunter. Laura may not be on the same level as Simon, but he is certainly in the same league and can compete. Like so many hyper aggressive fighters Simon's overwhelming power comes at the expense of his defensive bladework. Edward's offense isn't as powerful or domineering as Simon's blitzkrieg is still highly developed and his defense was far superior to his opponent's.

With their bladework out of the way we must look to their alternative skills. Simon is a far superior marksman to Edward, as firearms training was at best a tertiary skill to the Grey Mask. Simon's explosives are another advantage in his corner, as they can definitely penetrate Edward's body armor. Edward has a similar edge with this complete integration of Dust based attacks and defenses into his martial technique.

I declare Edward Laura and Simon Alexander equals in Martial Arts Training and Tactical Prowess

 **Verdict**

 **Mountain Glenn: Simon Alexander's POV**

I searched through the rubble of a destroyed office building, hoping to find signs of Black Fist activity. It was two weeks after the Breach, and I had been searching for Levi nonstop. GHOST had freed my old friend during the chaos, and a manhunt had been started by the Valen Government to hunt down and kill every terrorist they could find. They didn't understand the circumstances, they didn't understand the Fist like I did, understand Levi like I did.

As I climbed over the rubble and out onto the ruined highway a modified voice spoke.

"Drop your weapons Simon. You're coming with me."

I turned around to see Edward Laura, Specter projecting over his left shoulder.

"Get out of here before I add to your busted lip." I drew Umbara Viglanis and put the laser sight over his chest.

"That was not a request Simon." The Grey Mask drew his own weapon and faced me side on, extending the spear. "Stand down."

3rd person POV

Simon let loose with his machine gun, firing a barrage of flechettes at the spearman. Laura activated his Semblance and sprinted through the hail of gunfire. As he closed the distance Simon transformed his weapon into its staff form met the charge. Laura struck first, his spear lashing out at his opponent's exposed legs. Simon deflected the strike with a sweep only to have his opponent collapse his weapon and hook Umbara Viglanis in a bind, throwing him off balance. Laura capitalized on the forced opening by re-extending the spear into his opponent's right knee. With a grunt of pain the VI asset activated his Semblance and tried to lash out at Laura's exposed neck. He was met with a gust of wind that threw him across the street.

As Simon regained his feet he pulled the pin on a frag grenade and threw it at the Grey Mask. To his horror the explosive was intercepted by the wind and was deflected harmlessly to the side. Laura fired the spearhead of Specter at SImon's head, only for the projectile to be blocked by Simon's own weapon. Alexander unleashed another barrage of fire, forcing the Grey Mask to use his Semblance to close the distance. As they reengaged Simon tried to unleash his offensive barrage but his first strike was met with the soft give of a deflection parry. With his weapon harmlessly glancing off towards their feet Edward brought his staff around and slammed it into the side of Alexander's head.

The VI agent dropped his staff and tackled the Grey Mask, sending them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. With his opponent pinned Simon attempted to punch through the armor over his chest with his bladed gauntlets. Laura's armor held, the imbued steel rings stopping the strikes before they did any damage. With the initial assault failing Simon redirected his efforts to his enemy's mask. Once, twice, three times the blades made contact with the metal alloy, leaving deep gouges in the material. Every strike came closer and closer to making it through to the man underneath.

Within the span of a few second the tide of battle had turned. Simon's strength was superior to the Grey Mask's and he wasn't able to bring his weapons to bear. A hand grasped Simon's leg, sending several bolts between the two combatants. Simon recoiled from the sudden attack, and was immediately met with a blast of wind so powerful that he was thrown several feet into the air. Edward rolled away from his landing zone and collapsed Specter. The weapon was now in his left hand, a companion to the longsword in his right. Simon came on hard, bringing his weapon down in a diagonal cut meant to cleave the Grey Mask from neck to hip. In response Edward deflected with the parrying stick formed by Specter whilst simultaneously thrusting at Simon's right leg.

The assassin's blade made contact with the soldier's leg, draining Simon's Aura with both the point and electricity. Simon stepped back and activated his Semblance, making a grab for the knife in his boot. Alexander felt a gust of wind throw him across the street, forcing him to collide with a concrete barrier. Laura put Specter back onto his back and drew the dagger at his side. As Simon tried to rise to his feet he unleashed a barrage of lightning at his enemy's legs, draining what remained of Simon's Aura. He now stood over the former terrorist with his blade raised for the kill, prepared to strike Simon's head from his shoulders.

"Surrender Simon, I don't-" Wraith was cut off when Simon plunged his Aura piercing knife into his left thigh. Alexander twisted the blade to ensure maximum damage to the tissue around the wound. Laura screamed in pain, the steel in his leg forcing him to stagger back. Simon tried to lunge at his enemy with his bladed gauntlets extended. Even with his injury Edward was able to sidestep the charge. As the Shadow turned to face his enemy the Wraith drove his blade in between the plates of Simon's body armor, puncturing one of his lungs.

As the Ghost of Exton bled out at his feet Edward heard a Beowolf howl off in the distance, the Grimm hordes would be here soon. He took his time retrieving his opponents weapons and confirming the kill. Before he left, the Archangel's Apprentice closed the boy's eyes and said, "Goodbye Simon Alexander, may we meet again in the halls of Valhalla."

 **Explanation**

With these two so evenly matched it came down to a question of logistics. Who's is better optimized for this confrontation?

Both Simon and Edward wear heavy body armor to protect themselves against attack, but Simon's body armor is meant to stop the worst of a gunshot, and therefore is made up of several solid plates protecting his torso and back. These plates have spaces in between them, just like modern ballistic vests. By comparison, Edward's armor is far better suited for this contest. It covers far more of his body from harm and is incredibly effective against bladed weapons. Because both of them are committed close quarters combat specialists this fight is going to play out primarily at close range with their weapons of choice. Simon's battle staff and gauntlets may have razor sharp blades but they aren't able to cut through the heavy armor worn by the Grey Mask, and because the vulnerable parts of that armor can be counted with the fingers on one hand Edward knows what he needs to watch out for.

Simon is reliant upon forward momentum to keep up his offensive, something that Edward's push and pull method of combat would destroy. He can't gain momentum if he has to break off every other strike to defend against retaliation. This is compounded by Simon's inability to defend himself against Dust based attacks. His only option is evasion, and even then he is reliant upon his opponent providing some kind of telegraph. Alexander's experience against Weiss Schnee wouldn't help him much due to the differences between these two enemies. Edward isn't as outright overwhelming as Weiss, but he is far more precise and incredibly fast on the draw. To put it simply, Simon just won't have the time he needs to evade Edward's attacks because the Grey Mask can use these powers whenever he wants with pinpoint precision and at the drop of a hat.

One argument in Simon's favor is that he does have superior ranged firepower and explosives, but this advantage is undercut by the very nature of single combat. The time necessary to pull out a grenade, pull the pin, and throw it at the enemy is a massive telegraph. Edward would see it coming from a mile away and either deflect it with Wind Dust, activate his Semblance, or return it to Simon. Machine gun fire is equally moot, as Simon has ,at most, a few seconds to fire upon Edward before he closes distance with the enemy. The entire time Simon is shooting Edward is using his Semblance, and while it does drain his Aura, it won't give Simon a massive advantage because of how brief these circumstances would last.

It cannot be denied that Simon is physically stronger, more offensively overwhelming, and possesses a stronger Aura than his opponent. However, I don't think this is enough to tip the odds in his favor. While Edward has been overwhelmed by physically stronger opponents three times in the past I feel that it is due to who he was facing. The people who overwhelmed Edward in the past were Nora Valkyrie, a supremely powerful Huntress in Training with a ludicrous amount of strength, Alec Krieger, a six foot nine muscle tank, and Gregory Volker, a sturdily build VI Cipher agent. In every case the enemy in question outclassed Edward's strength to a massive degree. Simon does not have this advantage, his strength is superior to Edward's, but not nearly to the same degree.

Something that must also be taken into account is that both of these characters occupy the same AU, and definitely keep an eye on each other. It has been clearly established that Edward Laura observes students that may be able to challenge him in single combat, developing plans before he has to face them in single combat. Wraith has undoubtedly done the same with Simon Alexander. It is entirely possible that Simon has developed a strategy to fight Edward as well, but this argument has a few problems.

Simon is inexperienced as a duelist, he has fought exactly four other people in single combat outside the sparring arena. They are Levi Hartman, Schwartzer Belladonna, GHOST, and the White Fang Lieutenant. He never tried to develop tactics against these opponents beforehand, even in the cases of Levi and Schwartzer, who he was actively hunting. This nearly got him killed during his final battle against Schwartzer, as the assassin guided the battle to a location of his choosing and proceeded to dismantle Alexander's defenses with contemptuous ease.

A similar situation arose when he was confronted by Levi. Simon was aware that he was being hunted by his old friend, but he never bothered to develop tactics to defeat Hartman. This is a major black mark against Alexander because he had everything he needed to develop such a plan. He knew Levi was coming, he knew the logistics behind Levi's weapons, he knew Levi's fighting style, and he still failed to create an effective strategy against Hartman. It is worth noting that Simon didn't beat Levi with skill or power in their last battle, and up until the point where he used his Aura penetrating blade Simon was getting his ass put, even if Simon had a plan in place to fight Edward it probably isn't going to work. He lacks the experience necessary to form a solid plan before a fight begins because he's never done it before. Compare that to Edward Laura, who has seven confirmed kills in single combat against opposing Hunters.

In conclusion, Simon can bloody and brutalize Edward, but Edward can control Simon. From the moment they drew their blades Edward would keep Simon from building up momentum with his push and pull method of attack and defense. Alexander would be unable to disengage from combat due to his opponent's superior agility and speed combined with Dust based attacks. It would only be a matter of time before Edward dismantled Simon's defenses and cut him down.

I declare Edward Laura the victor.

 **A/N: So I hope you enjoyed the finale to Season one of my RWBY OC Vs Series. I would like to thank everyone who has allowed me to use their OCs so far and I look forward to using them in the future. Please let me know what you think of my conclusion and feel free to contact me with any questions or objections.**

 **I'll see you all next season- JudgeofHunters**


	7. Season 2 Premiere

Rica Sicarius Vs Flame Agnidev Vs Ike Mers

As a denizen of the Valen slums Rica never knew a home, family, or luxury. While she fought to survive she met a young human boy who took her in as a sister, despite her faunus heritage. This state of affairs was ended when the boy, her adoptive brother, was murdered by a street gang with ties to Cinder Fall.

In the aftermath of this traumatic event Rica sought revenge. Using her Invisibility Semblance she hunted down, tortured, and killed everyone involved with her brother's death. Due to her bloodlust Rica left evidence for the authorities to follow, and was arrested for the slaughter. The girl's abilities brought her to the attention of Ozpin, who offered her a position at Beacon Academy.

Shortly after her enrollment Rica was partnered with Drake Knight, and assigned to team DRGN. Continuing her education, Rica's cynicism and anger grew until she was sent back to the slums on a mission. There she discovered that there was more to her brother's death than she originally thought and deserted her team. Rica's ultimate fate is unknown.

Flame Agnidev was born in Vale 17 years before the battle of Beacon. When tragedy struck he was recruited into the Brotherhood, a group of mercenary assassins. After training with them for several years he was dispatched to Beacon Academy to kidnap the heiress Weiss Schnee.

The plan went awry almost immediately, after Flame formed a friendship with the heiress. Events came to a head when the Brotherhood took matters into their own hands and captured the heiress themselves. After a morality crisis Flame chose to betray his former allies, and after rescuing his friend Angidev as knocked unconscious by Yang Xiao Long.

Ike Mers was one of orphan brothers. After surviving off of the streets he and his brother James were recruited by a man called Victor to become mercenary Hunters. Over the years they became highly skilled assassins and dispatched their targets with cold efficiency.

Eventually the brothers got in over their heads, and James was killed by a target. This began a slow mental decent and takeover by a split personality called Vesh. The battle for Ike's mind was ultimately lost, Vesh taking over after Ike killed a former colleague called Einstien. Only time will tell if he will retake his mind.

 **As we begin Season 2 I wanted to make this unique. So for my first match I chose three assassins who each represent a different archetype of their chosen path.**

 **Rica represents the lone wolf. Powerful, mysterious, and deadly; but without direction and lacking a true sense of identity. Her blades are simply an incarnation of her own bloodlust, as she knows nothing else.**

 **Flame represents the wanderer. A man who has been victim of tragedy and has exacted his vengeance, at the cost of his own soul. Now he simply goes where the wind takes him, allowing the whims of fate decide his path.**

 **Ike Meyers is the vigilante born of circumstance. His actions hold a cold resignation and are carried out with a cold passion. The external struggles he faces amount to nothing when compared to the battle in his mind. (Note: We will be using the Ike Meyrs from chapters 1-24 of Vengance of a Brother, directly before Vesh took over his mind. This is due to the length of the story as it is incredibly long and we were on a time crunch. In future chapters we'll have read the entire story.)**

 **If these three noted Beacon students met in a free for all fight to the death who would survive?**

 **Note: This will be in the old format, where we give our logic pertaining to the fight's outcome at the end. Wa7chfac3 and I tried to make the new format work here, but we need more practice before we try it in a free for all. I'm skipping the bios this time as a bit of an experiment. Let me know what you think.**

Fight

Ike Meyers took in the sight before him. The warehouse used to be one of the White Fang's storehouses for Dust and weapons, before someone had come through and driven off it's inhabitants. From his perch across the street he could see two guards had been impaled before something blew the door off of its hinges.

He descended into the street below, on his guard. As he approached the crack of gunfire forced the vigilante to activate his Aura. After determining he wasn't the target Ike entered the warehouse to the sight of a duel. On one side, a red haired fox faunus and on the other a young man in a long hooded coat.

The faunus shifted her knives into suppressed pistols and fired upon the hooded adversary. With the other boy, Flame, on his back foot Ike drew his weapons bladed tonfas and charged the fox, only for her to disappear.

Ike didn't have a moment to think as he was struck by a flintlock round from the hooded boy. Without hesitation Ike formed his weapons into a bow and fired a Dust tipped arrow in retaliation. The arrow changed direction mid flight and was directed into the ground at the Flame's feet. As the projectile hit the ground it exploded into a fireball, concealing him in a cocoon of heat and light.

Suddenly the faunus, Rica, leapt from the shadows with her pistols in hand. Unloading into Ike, she drained his Aura considerably as he returned fire with his bow. As it seemed the fox was going to be overwhelmed a chunk of concrete debris struck Ike in the side and the hooded boy charged with his shortswords in hand.

As the two humans fought it out the fox faunus slipped back into the shadows, vanishing once again. The two humans fought savagely, every blow was returned with equal force, and each was turned away with a well timed parry or block. The hooded boy lit his swords on fire with Dust and charged ahead. In an act of desperation Ike pulled an electric arrow from his quiver and thrust it at his enemy. The surge of electrical energy struck just as one of the hooded Flame's shortswords connected with his chest, knocking the breath from his lungs.

The resulting power surge launched Flame back several feet. As Flame struggled to his feet Ike was trying to catch his breath. Suddenly five muted gunshots came from behind Ike and struck Flame in the chest. Two ripped through his Aura and penetrated his heard. Before Ike could turn he took three bullets in the back, knocking him to the ground. There was a psychotic laugh behind him and the last words Ike Meyers heard was...

"It's all too easy."

 **Explanation**

 **Judge: Well, first thing's first. We didn't use the new format because we need more practice with it before we apply said format to something as complex as a free for all. That being said, this was still a difficult conclusion to come to.**

 **Wa7chface: As fighters Rica, Ike, and Flame are rather similar. Each of them are emotionally driven individuals who specialize in dual weapon fighting. They each also have a ranged component.**

 **Judge: If this were a series of one on one fights Ike and Flame would dominate Rica, as they outclass her in nearly every field. Her only advantage is her faunus reflexes and speed.**

 **Wa7chface: That changes when we shift our focus to a free for all, with everyone fighting simultaneously. Ike and Flame would recognize each other as the biggest threat, largely ignoring Rica.**

 **Judge: The biggest factor in this matchup was tactics and strategy. Both Flame and Ike are incredibly powerful, and have a tendency to charge straight into battle without thinking. For all of Rica's flaws as a fighter she is incredibly smart.**

 **Wa7chface: As Judge said, both Flame and Ike are very impulsive. They go with the flow of battle, and are completely incapable of seeing the larger picture. As they were slugging it out Rica was getting ready to mop up whatever was left when they were weakened.**

 **Judge: They never suspected that Rica was waiting for Ike and Flame to destroy each other. So when she decided to strike, disposing of them was simple. She had plenty of ammunition. Rica wins this one.**

 **Message from the authors.**

 **Its good to be back. After a nice long vacation we're restarting this new season with cannon characters. There were six votes, and they were unanimous. So look forward to our next fight featuring our new format, Pyrrha Nikos Vs Elizabeth Briar. The Minstrali Champion Vs The Deceiver.**


	8. The Minstrali Champion Vs The Deciever

**Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fan run series made purely for entertainment purposes. Elizabeth Briar belongs to Mojo1586 and Pyrrha Nikos, (along with the rest of RWBY) belongs to Rooster Teeth.**

 **I've got a brief announcement to get out of the way before the chapter proper. Due to a number of factors, namely time constraints and the radically different fighting styles employed by RWBY OCs, we can no longer include a fight scene at the end of every chapter. While we will do our best to paint a vivid picture of how these fights will turn out, don't expect a full fight scene all of the time.**

 **Which chapters get a fight will primarily be determined by our schedules. If anyone is willing to write fights for us it would be greatly appreciated. Now, on to what everyone came here for.**

Pyrrha Nikos Vs Elizabeth Briar

The Minstrali Champion Vs The Deceiver

Born 17 years before the Battle of Beacon Pyrrha Nikos was a Huntress in training who operated before Cinder Fall's rise to power. Training at Sanctum academy she quickly rose to prominence after becoming the four time victor of the Mistral Regional Tournament, an unprecedented feat. From that point onward she became an international celebrity, her face and deeds known throughout Remnant.

At the age of seventeen Pyrrha joined Beacon Academy, hoping to hone her skills and become a Huntress. Early in the year she developed a romantic interest in Jaune Arc, her partner and leader. During her time at Beacon she began the training Arc, who had applied with false papers, as a swordsman and warrior. She was rather successful, and in the space of a few months Arc went from an incompetent weakling to a skilled fighter capable of facing Grimm in single combat.

Nikos also took part in several battles and sporting events in Vale. Most notable among them being the Valen Breach, the Vytal Tournament, and the Battle of Beacon, where she would meet her demise. During the Vytal Tournament it was revealed to Pyrrha that she was suitable to become the next Fall Maiden.

This sent her into emotional panic, being forced to weigh the responsibility of becoming a Maiden against being with the man she loved. Things came to a head when Pyrrha faced the android Penny during the third round of the Vytal Tournament. After a fierce battle Pyrrha was placed under the influence of Emerald Sustrai and was tricked into killing the artificial life form.

The destruction of Penny was the catalyst for Cinder Fall's plans, and a combined force of Grimm and White Fang attacked Vale. Soon afterwards a virus implanted in the CCT caused Atlesian AK-200s to attack both their creators and Valen allies. During the chaos Ozpin took Pyrrha taken to a secret chamber underneath the Emerald Tower and attempted to give her the powers of the Fall Maiden. His gambit was unsuccessful when Cinder Fall killed Amber Autumn, gaining the full power of the Maiden.

Ozpin instructed Nikos to leave the chamber, and stayed behind to face Cinder alone while she escaped. The old man was defeated by Cinder, and the new Maiden ascended to the top of the tower.

As she fled Beacon Pyrrha decided to confess her love to Jaune Arc, kissing him before shoving him in a locker and pursuing Cinder. After a titanic duel in Ozpin's former office Nikos was defeated, and executed by the new Maiden, destroyed by that should have been hers.

Elizabeth Briar was the daughter of an Altesian humanitarian worker who traveled Remnant. After the rise of the White Fang five years before the Battle of Beacon they began a rampage across the world, leaving blood in their wake. Elizabeth was one of their earlier victims, loosing her father, witnessing her brother's torture, and enduring the Fang's brutality personally.

These events left Elizabeth and her brother Edward desperate and without a home. Eventually they were picked up by the Red Hand and trained to become Trappers, the superhuman butchers of Humanity's saviors. During basic training Briar learned a wide range of skills that would serve her well including marksmanship, hand to hand combat, and the use of knives.

At the conclusion of Briar's basic training she underwent the Gen 2 physical augmentation procedure, boosting her strength, agility, reflexes, senses, and stamina to superhuman levels. She made a swift recovery and was apprenticed to the renowned bounty hunter Fortuna Marigold along with fellow Gen 2 Joel Ambrose.

Under Marigold's tutelage Elizabeth learned Dust Infusion, becoming highly skilled in both internal and external variants of the art. She also formed a romantic connection with Ambrose, meant as a distraction from the horrors of her past and the battlefield.

After Joel Ambrose and Fortuna Marigold left the Red Hand Elizabeth threw herself into her work, operating as an assassin for the Red Hand. Her most notable display being the murders of two Atlesian Specialists during a raid on an Atlas military train.

Her success ultimately worked against her. Elizabeth's maverick attitude and excellent track record had her under surveillance by the Red Hand before the Bastion Purges. After she ran from the carnage she was injured by Lucas Violette's chief enforcer, Virgil Jett.

After escaping from the carnage Elizabeth teamed up with other Trapper dissenters in an attempt to assassinate Lucas. This plan ended in utter failure, and Briar was forced to flee. Stealing a prototype ship and outmaneuvering the frontier city's defenses she took part in the Battle for Vale. Briar's ultimate fate is, as of this writing, unknown.

A/N: Hello everyone, Wa7chface and I are excited to bring you out first cannon Vs OC matchup. However, there are a few things we need to clarify about this match. Namely, the sources we will be drawing from concerning each fighter.

We will only be taking Pyrrha's abilities from RWBY Volumes 1-3 into account. Her appearances in RWBY Chibi being non cannon and her abilities in any fanfiction being inconsistent at best. This will not be drawing from Team AMBR: Finding Redemption. For Elizabeth Briar we will only be drawing from Team AMBR: Finding Redemption. As Wa7chface's Rule of Tyrants takes place too far back in Elizabeth's career for us to draw any conclusions relevant to this contest.

One more thing. This chapter, along with everything we do here in this series, is our option. If you happen to disagree, that's fine. All we ask is that you remain civil if you choose to voice your disagreement, and be able to defend your argument.

Physical Capabilities and Handicaps

Pyrrha Nikos was a tall and athletically build human female, born seventeen years before Battle of Beacon. As a Huntress in training Pyrrha was in excellent physical shape, showcasing excellent speed and agility. Past this, she never showed any particular strengths or weaknesses.

As a Second Generation Trapper Elizabeth Briar's physical abilities were pushed far beyond those of normal Humans, their abilities better compared to a Faunus. She displayed excellent strength, speed, reflexes, and dexterity.

However, these enhanced abilities are a double edged sword. Due to her enhanced senses Elizabeth is unusually susceptible to loud noises like gunfire. While we do not believe that she's as sensitive as her contemporary Virgil Jett, who would be in debilitating pain if in immediate proximity to a high caliber gunshot, she is still relatively vulnerable.

It should also be noted that Trapper Augmentation doesn't change a person's build, it simply enhances what's already there. Since Elizabeth had a relatively light build before she underwent the augmentation her levels of strength, while beyond that of an Aura trained human, isn't anywhere near that of Joel Amberose, Glimmer Fulmark, or Alexander Capaneus.

This is easy to call. There are very few cases where I would give a normal human the edge over a Trapper in a physical sense. Normally, Trappers are superior to normal humans in nearly every way. While Pyrrha can contend with Liz in speed and acrobatics there's no way in hell she can compete with Briar's strength. _Elizabeth Briar takes the edge in Physical Abilities and handicaps._

Weapons and Equipment

As a Trapper focused more on infiltration than combat Elizabeth carried far lighter weaponry than her contemporaries. Her primary weapons were Thorns, Dust cored that were triggered by her Aura. It should also be noted that Briar's vambraces hold Dust which can be deployed for External Infusion.

During her escape from Bastion Briar also acquired a set of new body armor utilized by Trappers. This armor is a composite of Bastion forged Silver and Kevlar. Such materials made it resistant to most low to medium caliber non-Dust rounds, the most protected areas being her chest and back. However, protection on the inside of her elbows, knees, neck, and ankles was practically nonexistent.

Pyrrha Nikos wielded two different weapons, Milo and Akoúo. Milo was a tripple form weapon with modes concerning a Xiphos, a Spear, and a Rifle. Akoúo was a medium sized shield resembling a Greek Hoplon. Both weapons were magnetic, allowing the champion to manipulate them with her Semblance.

This is rather difficult. Elizabeth's weapons are far more devastating than Pyrrha's, but Pyrrha's weapons are far more flexible and can be applied in far more combat scenarios. Elizabeth had better armor but Pyrrha's rifle can likely pierce it. At the end of the day, Elizabeth's Dust meets Pyrrha's armament beat for beat. _Elizabeth Briar and Pyrrha Nikos are equal in equipment._

Semblance

Pyrrha's greatest asset in battle was undoubtedly her Semblance. With the power to control magnetism she was able to manipulate her opponent's weapons and armor with relative ease, as long as those weapons were made of magnetic materials.

Due to the clear advantages of this ability Pyrrha used it constantly in a subversive manner, perfecting to avoid more grandiose displays of power. Nikos was constantly utilizing the magnetic properties of both her weapons and her opponents, granting her the title the Invincible Girl. On a small scale she was able to manipulate the weapons on a battlefield with pinpoint precision and on a larger scale she was able to lift and throw several of the giant steel gears from Beacon Tower, each of which weighed several hundred pounds.

Pyrrha's abilities were often the deciding factor in her fights. Due to the metallurgy of weapons in the RWBYverse she enjoyed a massive advantage over her opponents.

Due to her position as one of the Red Hand's best infiltrators Elizabeth's Semblance was a major boon. She was born with a color shifting Aura and could leave impressions on others, manipulating their first impressions of her to affect emotions. The impact of this ability is inconsistent at best.

If an opponent is able to learn what Elizabeth is doing and possesses the mental discipline to resist than her Semblance is all but useless. Benjamin Carson was able to resist to the point of practical immunity after only a single exposure, but her longtime compatriot Virgil Jett was still somewhat vulnerable.

This leaves us with two theories. One, Virgil is somehow not able to immunize himself from Elizabeth's Semblance despite his extended exposure. Two, Virgil is unaware of Elizabeth's Semblance and is therefore unable to defend himself against it.

We believe the second is more likely. Virgil Jett is a psychopath, but he is incredibly disciplined. This is the man who managed to keep calm in the face of Atlesian attack on the Red Hand base, setting up a brilliant ambush, stand his ground against an enraged Rieka Murasaki, and drive himself through the Dust attacks of Elizabeth Briar despite his fear of fire.

If this is the case Pyrrha would be incapable of defending against Liz's semblance. While it may not have a devastating effect on combat like Weiss's Glyphs or Sun's clones psychological warfare is a potent weapon.

Due to the specifications of Elizabeth's weapons and armor, namely the general lack of magnetic material in her weapons and armor, this was incredibly difficult to call. Pyrrha's Semblance would allow her to defend against Elizabeth's Thorns but Liz's Semblance would off balance Pyrrha, a gut feeling of fear making her reluctant to engage. As we are unaware how Pyrrha would've reacted under such circumstances I'm forced to assume she would still engage, but extremely cautiously. Meanwhile, Pyrrha's Semblance would effectively neutrelize Elizabeth's primary weapon. _Pyrrha Nikos gets the edge for Semblance._

Martial Arts Training/Dust Abilities

As the top 1st year student at Beacon Academy Pyrrha Nikos was a high level martial artist and duelist. Pyrrha's greatest martial asset was her Semblance, often utilizing a constant, discreet application to interfere with the enemy's weapon. This bolstered her fighting style, a highly aggressive offense based around overwhelming the enemy through sheer attack frequency backed up by an evasion/deflection based defense.

As with nearly every other Hunter at Beacon Academy Pyrrha's offense was incredibly aggressive, with the clear intent to overwhelm the enemy as quickly as possible. She accomplished this through speed based bladework, constant and rapid shifts in her weapon's mode, along with skillful integration of unarmed strikes.

Her defense was where her Semblance held the most influence. By manipulating the metal in an opponent's weapon Pyrrha was able to change the trajectory of an attack to either miss my a hairsbreath, or allow Pyrrha to more easily parry the blow. This was by far Pyrrha's most effective tactic, and earned her the title "The Invincible Girl."

As effective as Pyrrha's method was it had one massive problem. It relied heavily on her Semblance, which wasn't always perfect. Her Semblance has been overwhelmed by sheer multitude of attacks on more than one occasion, including a brief exchange with Dove Bronzewing and Russell Thrush, and several times against Penny Polentina. Her defenses were also drastically reduced against enemies who did not use magnetic weapons, as was shown against Cinder Fall.

Taking into account Pyrrha's performance against CRDL, BRNZ, Penny, and Cinder, it is possible that her defense became, if not reliant upon, heavily based around her Semblance. Evidence of this can be found when comparing her battles against Penny and Cider. Penny clearly had a greater offensive mêlée output than Cinder, but Cinder landed far more hits. Similarly, she had far less trouble penetrating Penny's guard.

Ultimately, Pyrrha Nikos was a highly skilled martial artist, but was cursed with a powerful Semblance. She used her Semblance so often that she compromised her native defenses, and in the end she paid the price.

Elizabeth Briar was one of the few Generation 2 Trappers who did not receive combat training before she was recruited into the program, her first experiences being in Red Hand boot camp. Therefore, she was not as skilled or experienced in martial arts as her contemporaries.

It can be assumed that Elizabeth was capable in unarmed combat, her enhanced physicality making up for any disparities in skill, and likely has a basic understanding of knife fighting and marksmanship. However, there is a great deal more to be said of her application of Dust.

As the apprentice of Fortuna Marigold Elizabeth Briar had access to a great deal of knowledge about Dust application. Normally this took the form of Elizabeth's aura triggered Thorns, though she did have prodigious skill with Infusion. This was the act of directly combining a Hunter's Aura with Dust, amplifying the connection, and therefore power, of a Dust Mage to their Dust.

Due to her malleable, color shifting Aura Liz was the first Mage who was able to manipulate all four kinds of Dust during Infusion. (Wa7chface: Infusion has been used by a grand total of four people, not exactly a big sample size.) This unprecedented versatility proved to be her greatest asset, as she was able to keep her opponents on their toes with a massive variety of attacks. Briar also showed a great amount of magnitude in her powers, manipulating large amounts of Dust.

Her powers with External Infusion took the form of a Dust cloud, with mechanisms in her Vmabraces blending together several kinds of Dust which are then manipulated by direct interaction with Briar's Aura. This cloud surrounds Elizabeth. The Dust acts like a screen which melts most projectiles, Briar to launch Dust based attacks from near complete safety.

As powerful as Infusion was it had problems. There is only a finite amount of Dust Elizabeth can control at any given time, limiting both her offensive and defensive output. She is also operating on a time limit, as her Aura can only sustain External Infusion for so long. I would put this limit at ten minutes, as Briar has roughly the same level Aura as a 1st year Beacon student.

In conclusion, Elizabeth isn't the best warrior, but she is a powerful Dust Mage who used her powers with precision and magnitude. While she may not be some unstoppable force like Joel Ambrose or Virgil Jett, she is certainly formidable in her own right.

Pyrrha and Elizabeth are two very different beasts when it comes to martial arts. Pyrrha relied upon her Semblance and aggression to achieve victory while Elizabeth used Dust and her physicality. While our first impulse was to hand this edge to Pyrrha on the back of her Semblance we must take one thing into account. The only thing Pyrrha would be able to effect would be Briar's Thorns, everything else is non magnetic. Therefore Pyrrha's greatest asset is neutralized. Meanwhile Elizabeth's Infusion offense and defense remains as potent as ever. Elizabeth Briar gets the edge as a-

 _Judge: Wait, what should we call this category?_

 _Wa7chface: I don't know._

 _Judge: I wanna say martial arts, but Liz got an edge off of etherial power, not physical._

 _Wa7chface: Alrighty then. Elizabeth Briar gets the edge in whatever the hell this category is called._

 **Verdict**

Judge: No one can deny that Elizabeth Briar and Pyrrha Nikos are two very different fighters. However, they have one thing in common. They're both tricksters who sell themselves as all powerful, but rely upon esoteric abilities to defeat their opponents. Pyrrha relies on her Semblance, Elizabeth used a combination of her Semblance and Dust. One's first impulse would be to compare this fight to Pyrrha's fight with Cinder, where she clearly held the edge in martial arts and held her own against a Maiden. However, this doesn't account for Cider's extreme arrogance.

Wa7chface: Cinder had just received the full power of the Fall Maiden, and believed that she was invincible. Therefore she was perfectly willing to engage Pyrrha in close quarters combat, where Pyrrha had an advantage. Elizabeth isn't that arrogant, and wouldn't make the same mistake. Against someone of Pyrrha's renown, she would use External Infusion as early as possible.

Judge: While Cinder is undoubtedly more powerful than Elizabeth, she also had no qualms fighting Nikos in close combat, and didn't try to maintain distance. Briar would do everything in her power to keep Pyrrha far away, where her advantage was greatest.

Wa7chface: This fight would play out in a similar fashion to the the battle between Darth Sideous and Yoda in the Revenge of the Sith novelizatation. Initially they would face off in martial arts combat, and Pyrrha would take the early edge.

Judge: Elizabeth would know that she cannot win in close quarters, and would use a Thorn to force Pyrrha to break off.

Wa7chface: Once she had a bit of distance between them Elizabeth would break out Infusion and start blasting away at range, any retaliatory fire absorbed by the Dust Screen.

Judge: From here on out Elizabeth would be racing against the clock, trying to break through or bypass Pyrrha's defenses before her Aura or Dust supplies were exhausted. Fortunately for her, Pyrrha would constantly try to reengaged in close combat, and making herself an easy target for Wind and Ice Dust.

Wa7chface: This problem would only worsen if Pyrrha tried to throw her spear or shield, as the weapons would, at best, become half molten slag. It may take a few minutes, but Elizabeth's Dust would wear Pyrrha down. We declare Elizabeth Briar the victor.

Judge: Remember this is just our opinion. If you disagree, let us know in the reviews or PMs. Just try to be civil.

Wa7chface: Or use all those dirty, dirty words you learned from Reddit on us. This is the Internet after all.

This was the first time we analyzed two fighters where we didn't have much to say about heir martial arts abilities. How did we do?


	9. The Knight Vs The Shadow

Drake Knight Vs Simon Alexander

The Renegades

Drake Knight was the last in a long line of renowned Hunters in the Knight line. After his family was butchered by an unknown criminal organization Drake was left alone in the world, with only his ancestor's legacy to guide him. He spent years looking for purpose, having decided vengeance would be a pointless waste of life.

Eventually he was accepted into Beacon Academy, partnered with Rica Sicarius, and placed in command of Team DRGN. While each member of the team preformed their individual duties well a rift formed between the two sets of partners, as Drake had spent all of his time and effort trying to accommodate Rica. These matters came to a head during DRGN's first, and last, mission together.

Rica had repeatedly shown her sadistic tendencies during the mission, and instead of taking action to control his partner Drake had bent over backwards to rationalize her actions. As the mission continued and Rica's actions became increasingly counterproductive the team's rift grew wider. This culminated with Rica's desertion leaving DRGN short a member, and Drake short a partner. He continues his search to this day.

Born to the only human family in the town of Exton, Simon Alexander's life was shattered when the White Fang assassinated both his father and mother. While this chain of events did spark a civil war within Vale Simon wasn't around to see it, having been recruited into the Black Fist as a child soldier.

Serving in the Highlands War, Simon was on a personal crusade against a White Fang assassin known as the Rapier Wasp. After the death of one of Simon's fellow child soldiers and several retaliatory assassinations the Vengeful Shadow had his chance at revenge during the final large scale battle between the Black Fist and White Fang. It didn't go as well as Simon expected, with the Rapier Wasp outclassing him in every way possible. In the end Simon was saved by the timely intervention of his allies, though not without a set of facial scars as a reminder.

Soon after the battle Simon deserted the Black Fist, and after being wounded in a battle with his former allies he underwent several surgeries to repair his body. Despite an extensive recovery period he spent the next six months serving as the bodyguard to Weiss Schnee. During this time he came to the attention of Ozpin, and offered a position at Beacon Academy. After accepting and undergoing initiation he was appointed leader of team SNST.

As the year wore on Simon discovered that one of his fellow child soldiers and former friend Levi Hartman was in Vale, and hunting Fist deserters. Upon hearing this news Simin dropped everything, including his responsibilities as a Hunter in training and as team leader, to find and help his friend. This crusade cost many lives, both civilian and Fist deserters, and eventually escalated to the point where Simon's team was attacked in broad daylight. While Simon was able to capture Hartman, his actions may have caused irreparable damage to his team, and soul.

 _A message from your hosts: Our original idea for this matchup was going to be Gregory Volker Vs Simon Alexander, but then we had a better idea for Gregory. So we decided find an opponent who has a great number of thematic similarities with Alexander, hopefully Drake Knight was a good choice. We'll also be making an announcement after the verdict._

 _Remember, this is all our opinions. As such these opinions and the ones stated before are subject to change if sufficient evidence is provided for a different argument. With that out of the way, enjoy Drake Knight Vs Simon Alexander._

Physical Capabilities and Handicaps

When placed side by side Simon and Drake represent two different archetypes. Simon is a strong, durable brawler and Drake is a nimble samurai-esqe warrior. In terms of raw power Simon has a significant advantage in strength and durability, having powered through far more punishment than we've seen from Drake. Similarly, Drake has an advantage is speed and agility. In such a context it is difficult to decide what advantages beat greater significance, as these particular advantages are polar opposites.

Neither side will be given the edge in physical capabilities.

Semblance

Like in physicality Semblance is difficult to call. Drake and Simon are once again opposites. Simon's Semblance slows the relative velocity of an object in close proximity to him, while Drake's Semblance allowed him prodigious applications of speed. Simply put, they're direct counters to one another.

Neither side will have the edge in Semblance.

Aura Strength

Simon Alexander posessed an Orange Aura what was about 1.1 times the strength of the average Beacon initiate. Meanwhile, all indications are that Drake had nothing more than average power, Simon Alexander takes the advantage in Aura strength.

Equipment

Simon Alexander's primary weapon was a 10kg Automatic Dual Bladed Polearm called Umbara Viglanis. A combination of a flechette launcher and dual bladed glaive the weapon was clearly based off of his old weapon, a similar design.

In addition to this weapon Simon wears a pair of bladed gauntlets with 12 inch (30cm) blades made from the wreckage of his old staff, these have a foot long blade and provide adequate protection from bladed weapons and small caliber gunshots. Other miscellaneous equipment includes two fragmentation, flash bang, and smoke grenades, a Kevlar cuirass, and knee protection.

While Simon's primary weapon served him well on the battlefields of the Highlands War, allowing him to lawnmower through massed groups on enemies, it had several deficits that made it less than ideal for single combat.

As a polearm, Simon's weapon had more surface area to block with, and on paper had superior reach to most other weapons in addition to a greater lethal area. However the second blade caused several problems, namely robbing the user of reach, range of motion, move set variety, leverage, and attack frequency. Due to the second blade's position it poses a danger to the user and doesn't allow the wielder to utilize the full reach of the weapon. This also means that the user is required to swing the weapon around if they want to place it on the other side of their body, such movement restrictions also has the added consequence of telegraphing attacks and parties. While some of these factors can be considered a boon for fighters who cannot devote their time to develop a more nuanced and sophisticated fighting style, those who must become proficient with several killing tools for example, but that doesn't change the fact that a more committed martial artist can and will suss out your technique very quickly.

In contrast to Simon's extensive kit Drake Knight carried the bare minimum of equipment. A katana called Crescent Moon and an electric bladed gauntlet called Vox Fang. The sword had a blade roughly 27 inches (68.6cm) and the gauntlet had a 19.5 inch (50cm) blade. As supplementary armor he also wore greaves on his lower legs. He didn't carry any ranged weapons.

This is fairly difficult. Simon's armor provides more protection, but his weapon is far heavier and has certain logistical disadvantages that make maneuvering it in close combat difficult. He also has far more ranged firepower. Comparatively, Drake's weapon is shorter, but more maneuverable and his gauntlet blades have nearly double the reach of Simon's own gauntlets.

Ranged firepower doesn't offer much in this contest, as Simon prefers mêlée and Drake will undoubtedly be able to close distance in short order.

So it comes down to four things. Reach, Armor, Maneuverability, and Weight.

Reach is Simon's game, but not to some massive extent. Each blade on Simon's staff is 45cm long, and the shaft is 90cm. Accounting for some space to ensure Simon doesn't flay his upper arm he has roughly 110cm (43.3in) of reach. He could remove one hand to thrust, but that's risky as the weapon would be both slower and easier to deflect. By comparison Drake's katana has 27 inches of reach. That's only a difference of 16 inches.

Armor is also Simon's game, by a considerable margin. His chest is protected, Drake's isn't.

Maneuverability is Drake's, as his weapon has a far greater range of motion and doesn't give the enemy as much of a positional telegraph.

Weight is also Drake's. An average katana weighs, at most, 2.8lbs. (1.3kg) Simon's weapons weighs 22.1lbs. (10kg) This is important because each weapon takes a certain amount of strength and to wield. The longer a fight goes on the more taxing a weapon's weight will be on the wielder, forcing them to draw upon their Auras to bolster their muscles and remain combat effective. This means that the heavier the weapon, the greater drain on Aura, which limits how long a Hunter can fight.

So, Reach and Armor vs Maneuverability and Weight. As important as Weight is armor and reach are more likely to play a factor in this particular contest. Simon Alexander gets the edge in Equipment

Martial Arts Training and Dueling Prowess

As these two fighters are so similar, this will be a side by side comparison of their martial arts abilities, tactics, and prowess in single combat.

Both Simon Alexander and Drake Knight were extremely offensive fighters, who milked their primary physical advantage, strength and speed respectively, for all they were worth. As fighters who were more experienced engaging thugs or low level soldiers on the battlefield their bladework was simple and direct, looking to overwhelm their opponent's defenses in a head in assault instead of undermining or outmaneuvering them.

This experience led to a trade off. On one hand the resulting fighting style that is extremely simple and easy to remember, on the other hand that same style is rather easy to suss out and predict. Both have their own way of trying to break the pattern, Drake often breaks off and momentarily disengages from the battle before darting back in. Simon tries to disengage or integrate his grenades to gain distance and better utilize his firearm. Both will resort to their gauntlet blades and unarmed strikes when disarmed, but do not normally integrate such tactics into their bladework keeping the two separate.

The differences, and the causes behind those differences, are what ultimately decide who is the better martial artist.

Simon was conscripted into the Black Fist to be a child soldier, meant to spearhead assaults against White Fang positions in the Highlands war. Since he was attached to a squad often sent on raids into Fang held territory Simon was trained in the use of several killing tools including demo charges, sniper rifles, pistols, knives, grenades, and others. Each of these skills requires time to hone and maintain, especially long range sniping. This forced Simon to divert time and effort away from honing his skills with his primary weapon.

The result of this multifaceted focus was what we refer to as the "Huntsman Soldier." An Aura trained individual who has dedicated themselves to several different combative skills in order to be as flexible as possible, a necessity in the constantly changing environment that is a modern battlefield. While this was undoubtedly useful for such chaotic situations, it had several limitations. The trade off was a masterful application of any one skill, being spread thin.

This weakness is magnified by the fact that many of the skills require the use of specialized equipment, such as explosives or sniper rifles, and such tools wouldn't be available in single combat. In Simon's defense, there's little he could've done to avoid this, as the many hazards of the battlefield mandate a wide skill set. What can't be defended is Simon's arrogance and tactical failings.

Through FHTH Simon has repeatedly shown a self image of being a close combat expert, despite his poor track record in single combat. To put forth a simple example, Simon Alexander faced Levi Hartman in combat several times, both before and after his desertion. However, during their battles during the events of Volumes 1 & 2 Simon failed to utilize his knowledge of Hartman's fighting style, and the logistics of his gauntlets. All the while believing he was the superior fighter.

This was showcased during their final battle. From the beginning of the fight it was clear Levi held the advantage from a martial arts perspective, Simon's only saving grace being his armor and Semblance. The battle came to a head when Levi was repeatedly slamming Simon's head into the concrete floor. He only escaped this hold due to the knife coated in aura penetrating Dust he had in his boot. Up until this point Levi had been dominating the fight. Following his escape and Leci's disengagement he said "You're getting better Levi! But still not as good as me!" The engagement from then on was one sided in Simon's favor, though Levi was severely injured.

His other notable fights against his Aura trained contemporaries follow a similar pattern. Simon's most common victories haven't been through skill, but by external factors and desperation tactics. He hasn't beaten someone through skill unless they're far beneath him, like Sky Lark.

This wouldn't be as much of a problem if it weren't for Simon's self delusion. But, as mentioned before, Simon is arrogant. He believes that he's a juggernaut who can't be stopped. This mindset has gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion, most notably his duel with Schwartzer Belladonna at the White Fang mountain base. Knowing Simon's recklessness, Schwartzer deliberately allowed Simon to spot him at the closing end of the battle. After an extended chase he had led Simon to the top of a building, where he then proceeded to use psychological manipulation to enrage the already unstable child soldier. When battle was joined Schwartzer clearly outclassed Simon on every level, yet Simon refused to retreat continually throwing himself at his adversary, blind to the trap he had thrown himself into. At the end of the duel Simon was defeated, and only saved by the intervention of a pair of allied snipers.

For all of his faults, Simon Alexander was a skilled fighter, and while he did have his faults few could deny his effectiveness on the battlefield.

When placed next to Simon Alexander Drake Knight suffered many of the same problems, though his were due more to inexperience than circumstance. Due to his semi regular battles against criminals and thugs Drake adopted a similar approach to Simon, though he had several key differences that came about due to the logistics available to him. Namely, those logistics that came from being a mêlée exclusive fighter.

Due to the close range nature of his fighting style Drake needed to be skilled in both hand to hand combat and swordsmanship, his method of choice likely being kenjutsu. Like Simon, Drake's technique was simple and straightforward, no fancy blade manipulations or integrated unarmed strikes. Drake also chose to disengage from his opponents to gain distance, though he reengaged immediately after with his semblance, either activating a gauntlet or attacking from a different angle.

Drake's simple bladework left him vulnerable to hybrid offensives, such as the method used by Rica Sicarius during their sparring match, her Faunus traits allowing her to contend with his rapid fire assault.

On a more technical level, Drake's method was based around speed. Using his blades Drake threw himself into an offensive storm, analogous to a buzz saw. When forced on the defensive he momentarily broke off before reengaging from a different angle.

He seemed to be aware of his limitations, trying to avoid the aforementioned sparring match with his partner, (though she was bolstered by rage and a desire for revenge) and he has disengaged from fights before he was overwhelmed. This tactical awareness was what caused Ozpin to appoint him team leader of DRGN. However, Drake has just as many problems as Simon.

The most prevalent of these was Drake's lack of variety in his move set. It was all direct cuts meant to incapacitate or kill his opponent, when Drake was disarmed most of the strikes he preformed with those blades were direct jabs and thrusts. The most likely cause of this lack of variety is Drake's own inexperience. To our knowledge, Drake doesn't really have any dedicated dueling experience or training in single combat.

This would place Drake in the same camp as Ruby Rose or Nora Valkyrie. Fighters who, for the most part, lack combat experience but make up for this in talent and power.

Such a lack of experience puts Drake at a massive disadvantage against more seasoned duelists, such as Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Neo, Roman Torchwick, Sun Wukong, Adam Tarus.

Drake, while talented, lacked refinement and experience against skilled human enemies. Though those close to him would not question his skill.

In Drake Knight and Simon Alexander we have two very similar fighters who were born of different circumstances. Their skill level is roughly equal. Simon is the more aggressive of the two, has more combat experience, and survived serving in the highlands war. By comparison Drake doesn't have Simon's experience, most of his opponents being thugs and Grimm. Neither of them are very experienced in single combat, and their skill sets are clearly optimized for the battlefield.

As we said earlier the devil is in the details. Simon may be the more experienced fighter, but he's also arrogant, and doesn't know when he's in over his head. Drake, knowing that he's inexperienced, is cautious and knows when he's not equipped to deal with a given situation. Drake's methods give him better defensive viability, and the edge in Martial Arts Training and Dueling Prowess

Verdict

We're experimenting with a new style of verdict. Let us know what you think. Thank you to Antoine Bandele for the blatantly copied idea. This is just easier for us to write.

The early fight would begin with Drake using his Semblance to close distance with Simon before he can inflict too much damage with his firearms and explosives. Once they are within mêlée range both Drake and Simon would engage in a bout of fencing before one or both attempted to break off. After this happens Simon will attempt to bring his ranged firepower back to bear. Drake would then close distance again.

I'll give Simon a 2-1 advantage over Drake in this stage of the fight, his ranged firepower has the possibility to inflict major damage to Drake after he disengages.

The mid fight would look very different. Drake would keep up the pressure with his katana, the shorter blade allowing him to stay inside of the lethal area of Umbara Vigilans. At this point Simon may attempt to use his Semblance to gain distance, though this would be countered by Drake's own Semblance. By now Drake would start scoring hits on the exposed areas of Simon's body. Simon may attempt to disengage, but his lesser agility wouldn't allow him to escape from Drake.

By our estimates Drake would have a 2-1 advantage over Simon in this stage of the battle, the logistics of Drake's CQC weapons and more conservative approach optimizing him to exploit the openings Simon's weapon and fighting style provide.

As the battle wore on into the late fight two things would set in, fatigue and desperation. Simon's staff would wear on the muscles in his arms forcing him to use his Aura to compensate, and both fighters wouldn't want this battle to drag on any longer. We may see Simon abandon his staff and try using his gauntlets, but this would sacrifice his primary advantage of reach and make defending his unarmored extremities, his legs in particular, extremely difficult. By comparison Drake's weapon won't start to fatigue him until much later, and his Aura will be saved for defense.

Simon may try to close and grapple with Drake, but this would most likely be unsuccessful. Drake's own gauntlet blade is longer and electrified, granting it more lethality and reach, and Drake's superior ability and speed would allow him to keep Simon at arms reach.

We would once again have to give Drake a 2-1 advantage over Simon, brining the tally to 6/4 in Drake's favor. It should be stressed that this is by no means an easy victory, likely coming by inches, but at the end of the day Simon's overly aggressive approach and tendency to leave himself open would prove fatal against the more conservative Drake Knight.

 _Just a few announcements._

 _1\. As you may know, Wa7chface will be shipping out to Boot Camp soon. So if a new chapter doesn't come out before early April it may be a very long wait for the next one._

 _2\. This is made more difficult by the increasing difficulty of my college classes._

 _3\. On a happier note, #BradyisGOAT_

 _So, if you have any comments please PM myself or Wa7chface. Feel free to yell at us in the review section, and have a nice day._


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